


Teen Titans: Blood Harvest

by The_Fierce_Lion94



Series: DC Animated Movie Universe Extended [3]
Category: DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Major Character(s), N.O.W.H.E.R.E's Colony, New 52, Prime 52 Universe, Teen Titans as Family, The Culling (DCU)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24475309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fierce_Lion94/pseuds/The_Fierce_Lion94
Summary: May, 2020.The Secret Society, in cahoots with the Crime Syndicate from Earth-3, have launched a surprised attack on The Colony, causing an all-out war. The Teen Titans, as well as The Ravagers, find themselves in the midst of a conspiracy during the war. The mysterious Man in Darkness, who controls Harvest and N.O.W.H.E.R.E. like puppets, has taken Raven in order to use her for his "Blood Harvest" ritual.Who is this Man in Darkness? What powers does he possess? What is his end goals?The Teen Titans will fight to uncover the truth behind everything!The Blood Harvest Arc begins!
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Garfield Logan/Tara Markov, Jaime Reyes/Traci Thirteen, Kon-El | Conner Kent/Donna Troy, Kon-El | Conner Kent/Tana Moon, Raven/Damian Wayne, Roy Harper/Jade Nguyen
Series: DC Animated Movie Universe Extended [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752610
Comments: 26
Kudos: 43





	1. Kid Flash Joins the Teen Titans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! The next part of my ambitious series, taking place after the Third Flashpoint. This story mainly adapts from the early New 52 story line the Culling, a crossover story between the Teen Titans, Superboy, and Legion Lost comics. This isn't going to be a 1-to-1 adaptation, so expect different story elements. Right off the bat I want to clear up two things:
> 
> -The lost legionnaires that were displaced by time will not appear in this adaption. They will be replaced by an expanded cast of the Ravagers
> 
> -N.O.W.H.E.R.E's origins are quite different than the one in the New 52 comics
> 
> Without further ado, let's begin!

"Oh man, I'm going to be late! Which is kind of ironic considering I'm a Speedster..." Wallace R. West said. The teen Speedster is on his way to Titans Tower in California, San Francisco. He had been accepted into the Teen Titans after making his debut as Kid Flash when he helped his 'uncle' Barry fight an evil Speedster by the name of Godspeed. Thinking back on it it was stupid of Wallace to try and fight a villain who had no problem in killing people, and he admitted he kind of got in the way rather than help. Well, that's the short version. The long version goes like this-

During what is now known as the Speed Force Storm, a bunch of people had gotten Speedster powers from a freak storm of Speed Force energy. The city of Central City quickly became the city of Speedsters with people running all over the place with their new abilities. One of these people was Wallace West. He remembered it as if it was yesterday. He had been leaving school when he noticed the storm clouds above. The forecast didn't mention any storms, but he shrugged it off and continued walking.

Big mistake.

The next thing he knows, he's waking up in the middle of a Californian desert, a decent distance away from Central City. He had run subconsciously when he had been struck by the Speed Force lightning. Wallace eventually returns to the city to see a mess. The city is in a disarray with Speedsters running around, and the poor regular everyday citizen freaking out. The Justice League was also on the scene. It seems the Flash had called for their help. Wallace didn't know Barry was the Flash at the time, but in the back of his mind, he always suspected that he was hiding something. He later learned that his older cousin Wally was also a Speedster and that he disappeared in the Speed Force some years ago after a battle with Hunter Zolomon, the Speedster known as Zoom. Wally came back, but for some reason lost his connection to the Speed Force, and thus is no longer a Speedster. But the ex-Speedster took it in stride and continues to help out behind the scenes without his powers. He is currently engaged to Linda Park.

Anyways, a new evil Speedster by the name of Godspeed showed up out of nowhere and began hunting down anyone who has Speedster abilities. Wallace had become a target, and he almost died but was saved just in time by the Flash and his companion, August Heart. They brought him to a holdout where the Flash had been keeping everyone who has Speedster abilities to hide from Godspeed. However, Godspeed found them, and proceed to steal the powers from everyone, killing them. Wallace was able to escape again thanks to the arrival of the Flash. A big battle proceeds between them and Godspeed's true identity was revealed. He was August Heart himself, who seems to have a natural ability to the Speed Force. He was able to use his incredible speed to conjure two versions of himself, thus being able to exist at two different places at the same time. More battles happen, and Barry ultimately became victorious, and August Heart is locked up in Iron Heights.

After all of that, only a hand full of Speedsters remain. Barry Allen, Wallace West, and Avery Ho, a Chinese American who was in Central City at the time of the Speed Force Storm. Avery was rebellious and disappeared into China to escape from the Flash. Wallace on the other hand became the third Kid Flash. How did he know he was the third Kid Flash? His older cousin was the first, and some other kid known as Bart Allen was the second, who was apparently from the future? Wallace still hasn't wrapped his head around the Speed Force, and the crazy shit it can do.

In other words, time travel is confusing.

The young Speedster finally cross the city border and arrived in San Francisco. It didn't take long for him to see Titans Tower. You would have to be trying to not see it. A long bridge leads to the grounds of the Titans Tower, and despite its distance from the city, the tower held a presence of a looming guardian. The Teen Titans were a welcome sight to the people of San Francisco. It also helps that the teenage superheroes bring a lot of tourists to the city. After all, San Francisco is the City of the Titans!

Wallace came to a screeching halt as he stops in front of the building. Waiting there was every member of the Teen Titans. He sees some of the founding members of the team such as Nightwing, Bumblebee, Speedy, and Beast Boy. The newer members are also there: Starfire, Raven, Robin, Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl, and Terra. Hmm... Does it seem someone is missing? But before he could say anything, Nightwing and Starfire approach him.

"Wallace West? It's nice to finally meet you. I'm sure you already know, but I'm Dick Grayson, former Robin, and leader of the Teen Titans," Dick said as he holds out his hand.

“T-thank you, Nightwing!” Wallace replied nervously as he shook his hand.

“It's great that you have decided to join us,” Kori spoke up. “It's nice to have a Speedster on the team.”

“T-thanks! I hope that I can contribute a lot to the team!” Wallace said happily.

“By being late?” a snarky voice spoke up.

“Damian...” Dick warned.

“No excuses, Dick! I expect every member to be punctual when it comes to time management. We can't afford to be fooling around, in case something happens. Even if it is that member's first day,” Damian said as he steps forward with a scowl. Wallace shrank back and drop his head.

“I-I'm sorry... I was waiting for Uncle Barry to get home, but he was helping out the city.”

“That's enough Damian,” Kori spoke up. “It's Wallace first day, I'm sure we can forgive him this time.”

Damian was about to speak, but Raven place a hand on his shoulder. He looks into her puppy dog eyes and sighed.

“Fine. I'll allow it, only this time!” He huffed.

“Besides, Wallace isn't the only one who is late,” Beast Boy spoke up.

“Conner...” Damian growled. “That cheeky half human half Kryptonian! When he gets here, I'm going to enjoy torturing him with some Kryptonite!”

With that out of the way, Wallace and the Teen Titans save for Conner now stand in the central operations room. A large monitor is in front of them, displaying the members of the Justice League. Despite the short orientation, Wallace had a good time. Save for Damian and his usual moody self, Wallace got along well with everyone. He feels like he can finally be among friends after getting his powers.

“Thank you for joining us Teen Titans,” Clark Kent, known to the world as Superman, spoke from the monitor. “I'm sure you've already meant Wallace West, who took the mantle of Kid Flash. Glad that you joined the team, Kid Flash.”

“T-thank you, Superman!” Wallace shouted. That earned a chuckle from some of the members, and Barry shakes his head humorously in the video feed. Wallace blush in embarrassment.

Clark however laughed. “That's a good attitude you got there, I'm sure that-” he stops talking to look. “... Where's Conner?”

“I don't know, Clark. I thought maybe YOU know where he is?” Damian said with a snarl.

“What? Is he-?”

“Late? Yes.”

Clark sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. “Right. I'll make sure to talk to him-”

“AHEM!” Bruce Wayne, the richest man in America and holder of the mantle of the Bat, coughed in his hand behind him.

“I mean lecture him as to the importance of being punctual!” Clark said as he panicked a little. Bruce smirked.

“ANYWAYS!” Clark said to drown out the snickers occurring. “I'm sure Nightwing and Starfire gave you a brief version of what this meeting is about.”

“Darkseid...” Dick muttered.

Bruce nodded. "Our intelligence from the Green Lanterns Corp showed us that Darkseid may be planning another invasion. Apokolips was monitored to be increasing production. Of what, we do not know. What we do know is Darkseid's right-hand man, Desaad, was seen visiting numerous homeworlds in the galaxy."

“Which means that Darkseid is up to no good. It has been six years since Darkseid's failed invasion and the formation of the Justice League,” Clark said. “There is no doubt he will be building his forces for a second invasion.”

"What do you want the Titans to do?” Kori spoke up.

“For now, we will monitor the situation and proceed as normal. But I want you all to be vigilante in anything out of the ordinary. Darkseid has no problem recruiting people from our planet to help him gather intel. Like he did with Cyborg-Superman.”

“Right!” the Teen Titans said.

Clark nodded. “With that, this meeting is-” he stopped when the doors slide open behind the Titans. In step Conner in his LexCorp jacket.

“Conner!” Clark shouted. The clone jump at the sound of his name.

“Huh? What gives?” Conner said.

"You have some explaining to do!" Damian growl as he approaches him. Raven stood by her peeved boyfriend in case he tries to pick a fight with Conner. Again.

“...For what?”

“FOR BEING LATE!” Damian shouted. Conner stare at him, then look around to see everyone staring back.

“Oh man, was today the meeting?”

"...Yes, it was."

"Sorry! I completely forgot!" Conner said with a smirk as he shrugs. Damian was about to draw his sword, but Raven stopped him.

"Conner, you got some explaining to do. Right. Now," Clark said, clearly angry as he glared at his 'son'. Conner gulped as his Grey eyes widen.

He averted his gaze to the side as he nervously spoke, “What can I say? I had a hot date with Tana Moon today, and forgot that we planned for this meeting.”

"A DATE?!" some members of the Teen Titans shouted. Wallace jump at the response. He looks to see some have an expression of complete shock. Donna however seems to be frowning slightly as she silently watches Conner.

“A date?” Clark repeated. “Is that the best excuse you can make up?”

Conner faltered a bit. "I-it's not an excuse! I did go on a date!"

“So you went on a date with your imaginary girlfriend?” Damian asked.

"She's not imaginary!" Conner growled. He narrows his Grey eyes at Damian with a frown. Damian steps forward to challenge the clone as they glare at each other. Raven nervously looks between the two friends who often butt head against each other. Then a ringtone sounds out. Conner broke his staring contest with Damian and pocket out his phone.

"Hello? Oh, hey babe! What's that? I left my aviators?!" Conner said as he looks around his jacket to see they were missing. "Shoot, I can't believe I left them. Huh? Do you have them? Thanks, babe, your the best! I'll be right there!" He hung up. "Listen, peeps, I gotta go. Update me when I get back!"

"CONNER DON'T YOU DARE-" Clark roared before the clone quickly exit the room. He sighed and hung his head in defeat.

“That went smoothly,” Bruce said dryly.

"That kid is gonna be the death of me," Clark groaned. A hand land on his shoulder as Diana Prince, known to the world as Wonder Woman, flashes him a smile.

"Don't let him get to you, Kal. Donna," Diana said as she addresses her younger sister. "Keep an eye on Conner, won't you?"

That command seems to brighten up Donna and she said, "Yes, ma'am!" Donna quickly exits the room as well. The room grows in silence, no one knowing what to say.

Bruce coughed and said, “This meeting is officially adjured. Justice League out.” The video feed cut out. The Teen Titans immediately began talking about what happened.

"Did Conner truly went on a date? I can't see that womanizer finding someone," Beast Boy spoke up.

“Funny, I can say the same for you,” Jaime said with a shrug.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Beast Boy whined.

“It means, your lucky I even agreed to be your girlfriend,” Terra said as her eyes twinkle in mischief.

Beast Boy pouted as they laughed.

“I'm quite curious to see who had captured the heart of Conner,” Karen said. “I remember when he first joined us last year. He kept flirting with every girl on the team!”

“W-was he that bad?” Wallace spoke up. This Conner seems to be quite the trouble.

“He didn't mean any harm, but he does make a habit of it,” Kori said.

“I think when Damian threatened to castrate him with Kryptonite after he flirted with Raven, that he finally stopped,” Roy said.

Wallace gulped.

“I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of curious who this 'Tana Moon' is too,” Dick said.

“Really?” Damian asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't tell me your not?” Dick pressed.

"..." Damian silently stares at Dick. "To tell you the truth, I am."

“Why don't we spy on our resident womanizer to see what he's up to?” Beast Boy said with a mischievous grin.

“ _My first day as a Teen Titan... It's not so bad here,”_ Wallace thought as he watches his new teammates discuss Conner's dating life. If every day is like this, he can grow to like it even more.

However, peace was never meant to last, especially in this universe.

For the dawn of the Blood Harvest is about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story may be a bit fast paced since it will have a huge category of characters. I don't want to make it too short, or drag it on. I estimate the length to be between 12 to 20 chapters. I'm sure some of you have already spot some changes in this timeline, so let's do the usual list:
> 
> -I'm not sure which city the Teen Titans are headquartered in, but in this timeline its in San Francisco, California
> 
> -The Speed Force Storm from The Flash Rebirth occurred in this timeline (which is my way of explaining Wallace's appearance as Kid Flash)
> 
> -Wally West lost his connection to the Speed Force, but he helps out from time to time. He is engaged to Linda Park
> 
> -Bart Allen has time travelled to the present a few times already. He will appear again in the future!
> 
> -Tara Markov A.K.A Terra is alive in this timeline!
> 
> -So Desaad is alive as well. It seems Darkseid didn't retrieve Doomsday's body to create Paradooms. Hmm... it seems some unknown forces are already working behind the scenes...
> 
> -I'm not sure if its confirmed for the DC Animated Movie Universe, but Donna is Diana's biological younger sister in this timeline


	2. Warblade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! The second chapter introduces one of the main members of N.O.W.H.E.R.E's Ravagers, Warblade! How will he fare against the Teen Titans? Let's find out!

Conner whistles as he walks along the streets of San Francisco. He greeted the common folks with a cocky attitude, sometimes stopping to take selfies and pictures. Conner loves attention. Ever since he was revealed to the world as an official member of the Teen Titans, he was greeted with positive praise. Sure there were some of the naysayers, most of them the same critics when he entered the public as the New Superman when he still worked with Lex Luthor, but generally the response was positive. It only bolstered when he helped the Titans battle any of their rival villainous teams. It seems having a powerhouse similar to Superman on the roster helps prevent fewer crimes in the city and the state of California.

He walks into a familiar cafe to see people enjoying themselves. Despite his outward cocky and smug attitude, Conner secretly loves moments like this. Seeing the everyday person happy and safe is a sight to see. Before starting his year-long journey as Superboy, he always thought of being famous and popular was everything. But thanks to guidance from the Titans, the Justice League, Superman, and even Lex Luthor, Conner had grown to appreciate the peaceful times. But once in a while, he likes to let loose and become the cocky teen he was created to be.

"Did you wait long for me?" Conner asks as he sits across the person he hopes he has a future with. Tana Moon is a raven-haired beauty that always seems to steal the breath away from him every time he sees her. He always questioned how lucky he was when he saved her during a battle against H.I.V.E. Conner remembered how he jokingly asked for her number. The super clone is not gonna lie, despite his gorgeous looks and popularity, it was hard trying to get a date. It usually boils down to existing in 'different worlds'. Whatever that means. But Tana was different. She gave him her number, and the rest was history. They meet a few times, usually before Conner started his shift with the Titans, which sometimes caused him to be late. He hated being lectured by the senior members, and especially Damian, who still didn't forgive him for flirting with Raven. Not like he cared what the moody dweeb thinks of him.

Tana wants to become a reporter after visiting Metropolis and meeting Lois Lane. She always admired the older woman's work, especially her stories on Superman. When Conner found out, he was bummed out, thinking she only accept dating him because he was 'related' to Clark. But to his joy, she genuinely wanted to spend time with him.

"Not at all!" Tana said as she beams a bright smile at him. Conner swore he might be in love with her. "Here you go!" She hands over Conner's prized aviators. Some may think its just ordinary glasses, but they would be wrong. It was a small 'gift' from Mercy Graves, Lex's 'henchwoman'. He's not gonna lie, she was smoking hot and he fell in love. But alas, things were not meant to be. But he cherished her as a close friend when Lex was still being a prick. Mercy is still working with Lex, and some can argue she is the new boss of LexCorp since Lex Luthor is busy with the Justice League. The glasses were further reinforced by Kryptonian technology in Clark's Fortress of Solitude after he broke them during their fight with Cyborg-Superman. Which makes the pair of glasses double gifted, if that's a thing.

"Thanks, babe!" Conner said as he places the glasses over his eyes. God, he loves these shades!

Tana giggles. “Your welcome. So, how are things at the Titans Tower?”

"Pretty good! I think we got a new member. Didn't get a good look at him, but I believe he's the Flash's sidekick. Kid Flash."

"Oh! I remembered hearing rumors about him! It seems with a Speedster on the team, you guys are turning into a miniature Justice League!" She jokes. As the couple continues to chat, Donna spies on them from the rooftop of a nearby building. The pair of binoculars she is using aren't ordinary ones, as they are one of the many gadgets the Titans use for reconnaissance. The binoculars are showing a live video feed to the rest of the Titans at the tower.

The Titans themselves were staring at the video, some with their jaws wide open.

"No way... He wasn't lying about him having a date?" Beast Boy said in complete shock.

"I'm kinda surprised he was serious. Usually, he's boasting about all the girls he's been with," Roy said with shrug.

"Looks like I won the bet!" Jaime shouts in triumph as he accepts money from a sad Beast Boy.

“I gotta admit, they look good together,” Karen said.

“Yeah, she's kinda hot-”

**[BAM!]**

Beast Boy cries out as Terra promptly smack him on the back of his head.

"Learn to close your mouth for once!" She shouts.

"Sorry..." Beast Boy groans. A few more minutes pass as Conner and Tana chat and laugh together.

“I think that's enough,” Damian said. “Despite me being the 'paranoid' one, we are invading on his private affairs. We'll punish him later.”

"Aw Damian, you DO have a soft spot sometimes," Dick jokes.

“Bite me, Dick.”

* * *

“ _I gotta admit, they look good together,”_ Karen's voice spoke from her earpiece. Donna's stomach drop when her friend said that. Indeed, Conner and the girl Tana do look good together. She can tell even from this distance that their bond seems to be genuine. Donna doesn't know how long they've known each other, but it seems it may have been for at least a few months. How did Conner manage to keep this a secret for so long? Everyone knows he can be a loudmouth at times when he wants to boast. When Damian said to end the little spy mission, she begrudgingly closes the video feed. She felt lost. She always had a 'thing' for the super clone ever since he joined them last year. Maybe it was the fact that her older sister is dating Clark, but she felt a sort of... 'connection' to Conner. Sure he was a cocky, smug, loudmouth hot head who loves to boast in battle, but that is a side of him that she grew to like. 

"I guess it's also the fact that he is the only one who can fight me seriously in a match," Donna said to herself. She sighs. She's acting like a kid. As she moves from her position to fly back to Titans Tower, something caught her attention from the corner of her eyes. "What is that-"

**[BOOM!]**

Something had crashed into the cafe.

* * *

Conner groans as he picks himself up from the ground. What happened? The last thing he remembered was talking to Tana about her future as a reporter, his hearing picking up something coming in fast, and an explosion.

“ _Tana!”_ Conner shouts as he looks around. He found her a few feet away, a gashing wound bleeding from her head. "Tana!" Conner moves to check on her. Before he could, something grab his outstretched arm. 

“What-?”

**[BAM!]**

Something strong punches him in his stomach. Conner doubles over for a devastating uppercut that launches him out of the cafe and into the air.

"GUH!" Conner stops himself from flying too far. He shakes his head to clear the fog out of his head. What was that?! It was the hardest punch he had ever felt. Something gleam out of the corner of his eye and Conner dodge just in time for a set of extremely sharp claws miss from skewering him.

"What the?!-" Conner shouts as the thing turns around with a speed that can even rival Superman's. This time Conner was ready as he dodges a series of swipes. Whatever it is, it wants to kill him! Conner went on the offensive and launch a barrage of punches and kicks at his attacker. It easily blocks his attacks, grabs one of his outstretched legs, and toss him through a nearby apartment building. Conner flew through the entire apartment, only for the thing to be waiting on the other end. He only had a brief glimpse of his attacker before it raises both its hands and slams them on the back of his head. Conner screams in pain as he crashes into the ground. His body created a large crater in the road. All around him people scream as he lay in the ground. He groans as he wipes the blood away from his nose. He's bleeding? That isn't good. Whatever this thing is, it punches hard enough to draw blood from a Kryptonian.

“Well, well, well... I thought you would've put up a bigger fight than this,” a masculine and rather metallic voice said smugly.

"Oh yeah? Who's asking?" Conner groans out. The figure steps into his field of vision. It appears to be a man in a metallic bird-like armor with sharp claws like talons. Three glowing circles on its chest, and a glowing set of sharp teeth with glowing eyes. 

“The name's Warblade. You Superboy, have become my prey,” Warblade said as he crouches down.

"And who do you work for? H.I.V.E.? The Fearsome Five? The Church of Blood? Deathstroke?"

"Neither," Warblade said as he raises his foot to stomp him. However, something crashes into him, sending him flying a good distance away.

"Kon! Are you okay?!" Donna said as she knelt beside him. She cradles his head in her arms as she looks at him with worry. Conner is not gonna lie, she was kind of cute.

"...Donna? What are you doing here?" He said. Now is not the time for him to be thinking about stuff like that!

“I-”

**[BAM!]**

Warblade came soaring back and kick her away from him.

"DONNA!" Conner screams.

“Stupid bitch, thinking she can sucker punch me?” Warblade spat.

"You bastard!" Conner roars as he got up, pocket his aviators and blast Warblade with his heat vision. The metallic villain screech as the blast damages him. "So you don't like fire, huh? Well, have some more!" Conner shouts as he increases the intensity.

"Guh! Don't get cocky, brat!" Warblade roars as he pushes back against the heat vision. Then he quickly speeds to the side, and toss a punch at Conner. However the clone was ready for that, and he caught the punch and send one of his own.

**[BAM!]**

Warblade was sent flying into a nearby store. Conner cringes at the damage. Sometimes he forgets himself in the heat of battle. He chooses to go after Donna to see her standing up.

"You okay?" He asks as he lands beside her.

“Y-yeah...” Donna said as she coughs. “Who or what is that?”

“I don't know, but we can't deal with him by ourselves. We need the other Titans!” Conner said as he reaches for his earpiece. Shit! He forgot to take it with him! How stupid could he be?

"Donna, contact Kori and the others-" Before he could finish, Warblade came striking back with a vengeance. Conner was ready for him, and soon the two starts trading blows all over the streets. Donna quickly got in contact with the other Titans as she watches the battle. Despite his strength, it's obvious Superboy was losing to Warblade, who fights like a seasoned warrior. 

“Donna?” Kori's voice spoke into her ear.

"Kori! You have to send help! We're getting attacked by an unknown metahuman.!

“Whoa! Calm down, Donna! Tell me what's wrong!”

"There is no time! I've got to help Kon! Donna out!" Donna quickly turns off the link and joins the battle. She sent a kick to Warblade's side, sending the metallic metahuman a good distance. She floats beside Conner, who is sporting some cuts and bruises. To think such a being can do this much damage to a Kryptonian is frightening.

“Kori and the others are on their way,” Donna said.

Conner nods. "Good. Let's keep this guy busy till they arrive."

"Right!" The two rush forward and launch a barrage of strikes. It seems to be working, as Warblade now has to keep up with two super teens. He's only left to defend himself as Conner and Donna continue to pummel at him. With a combined punch, they were able to launch Warblade straight down to the empty street. Warblade screams as he crashes into the street in a large crater.

"Conner! Donna!" a feminine voice shouts. They turn to see their companions have arrived. Kori, Raven, Beast Boy in his Eagle form, Jaime, and Karen float beside them, while Wallace, Roy who traveled with Terra, and Dick and Damian on the same bike arrived on the ground.

Kori gasps as she saw their state, especially Conner. She curses in her Tamaranean language as she approaches them.

“Are you two okay?”

Conner and Donna nod. "Yeah we're fine," Conner said.

“Who did this?”

“He calls himself 'Warblade'. Other than attacking for me for no reason, that's all I know.”

"Where is he?!" Kori said with a growl. She always gets worked up when her younger members get hurt when she's not there for them.

"Down there," Conner points to the crater, which Warblade still laid in. Kori glares at the metallic villain.

"Let's see what this 'Warblade' wants," She said as she floats down. Warblade groans as he stands up.

“No sudden movements.”

Warblade look to see the entire Teen Titans roster glaring at him with their respective weapons drawn at him. "Well, it looks like the rest of the brats want to play."

"Why are you attacking the Titans?" Damian asks.

Warblade shrugs. "I just felt like it."

"You WILL tell us, or else!" Kori growls as she steps forward with her fists glowing with green energy.

Warblade's eyes seem to glow even brighter. “Ooh! Feisty! I like you already.”

Dick growls as he takes a protective step between Warblade and Kori. "Enough! We'll be taking you in for attacking fellow members of the Teen Titans, and damage of public property!"

“And if I refuse?”

"Dude!" Beast Boy said with a small whine. "We completely outnumber you! There's no way you're getting away from us."

Warblade's grin seems to grow. "Who said I was gonna run?"

**[DUN DUN!]**

A heavy atmosphere falls over them as they stand ready.

_"Something isn't right. This guy is way too confident. What does he have up his sleeve?"_ Conner thought. Energy seems to radiate off Warblade as he begins glowing brighter and brighter. Then parts of his metallic body start opening, radiating intense heat. 

“I'll show you brats my true power!” Warblade said menacingly.

"Titans Go!" Kori shouts the command. They all charge forward.

"Too late!" Warblade said as a gleam appears in his eyes.

**[ZING!]**

Only a handful of the Titans saw the attack coming. Conner, Donna, and Wallace barely dodge the lightning-fast strikes Warblade dished out. The rest instead grumble like a stack of bricks.

“What was that?!” Conner said as he sees his companions lay on the ground.

“I-I'm not sure! I only saw a glimpse, and I dodged it instinctively!” Donna said.

"I-I-I saw what he did!" Wallace said. "He threw out a bunch of super-fast punches!"

Warblade whistles. “Not bad. You three show the most potential for the Culling. But will you dodge this?”

"Huh?" Wallace feels his senses flare up and he dodges a dart that was shot at him. However Conner and Donna were too slow, and the darts hit their necks. The two instantly crumble like a stack of bricks. Wallace panics as he watches all his companions lay on the ground.

Warblade whistles again. "Impressive! To think you're still standing after all that. You have speed on your side, but what about power? I would like to test that..." he said as he menacingly stalks forward. The time came to a screeching halt for Wallace as he gauges his chances. There is no way he can take on Warblade alone, Speed Force, and all. Plus, he doesn't have much experience in battles either! So he did what he does best.

He ran.

A small sonic boom blast as Wallace disappears.

“Should we go after him?” a voice spoke in Warblade's ear.

“No. He's long gone by now. Let's bring these brats to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Templar is dying to get them into the Culling.”

The Teen Titans have been reported missing since an attack in the morning by unknown forces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Wallace! Not even a day has passed and his newfound friends are captured! However this won't be the last appearance of Wallace in this story. Let's examine some changes:
> 
> \- Lex still joins the Justice League after his role in Reign of the Supermen. Now the question is, will Lex ever change back to his old ways, and once again become an enemy of Clark's? Hard to say. I'm sure Lex knows there are far worst things in this universe to worry about than the Man of Steel!
> 
> -I've decided to preserve the relationship between Clark and Diana. A part of me liked their dynamic during the first few years of the Animated Universe, until they broke up. That doesn't mean I've kicked Lois to the curb or anything, for I have BIG plans for her in future projects (hint: a certain DC Rebirth story that takes place after the Final Days of Superman)
> 
> -Not sure if its confirmed if Deathstroke died at the end of the Judas Contract (I'm pretty sure he did since he didn't appear in Apokolips War), but the deadly assassin is alive in the present of this timeline


	3. Captured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! The third chapter of the story! The next couple of chapters may be slow with minimal action, but I use them to do a bit of "world building", and hint at a few of the next stories in the series.
> 
> I was also thinking of doing some one-shots here and there that focuses more on the relationships between the characters, and explore them a bit more than what I will do in this story.
> 
> Enjoy!

He ran. Wallace West had run and ditched his newfound friends. The teen Speedster found himself a good distance from the city. What was he thinking running off like that?! If Damian disliked him before, he will surely hate his guts now. If he was even alive.

"Of course their alive!" Wallace shouts to himself. He shakes his head and started speed pacing around. "Gotta think! There is no way I can handle that Warblade guy by myself. I'll have to get in contact with the Justice League. Somehow. Barry didn't tell me how. Maybe something like a bat signal? But with the Justice League symbol?"

"What have we here?" a voice breaks him from his thoughts. Wallace stops his pacing to see a tall man dress in a yellow version of Barry's costume. The man's eyes glow red and a sinister smirk spread across his eyes. The man's body seems to vibrate and twitch from time to time. Cold sweat drip down Wallace's neck.

“Here I was speeding along when I noticed you. What a coincidence, don't you think?”

"Z-Zoom?" Wallace asks.

"Close but no. The name's Professor Zoom. You can think of me as the... Reverse-Flash," Eobard says with a sadistic smile. Before Wallace can even think of moving, Eobard speeds forward and grabs him by the neck. Wallace chokes as his feet dangle in the air.

"My, my. Luck seems to be on my side. You'll be coming with me, boy. We got some things to do." Eobard wraps Wallace's head in a vice and squeeze. The teen Speedster sends out desperate gasps of breaths before he passes out. Eobard grins and picks up his body.

"Ooh, I can't wait to see the look on ol' Barry's face," he says with a maniacal laugh.

He speeds off to an unknown destination.

* * *

**Metropolis**

Lois Lane is certain of three things in her life. First, whenever there is breaking news occurring anywhere in the world, Lois is the first to be on the case. Second, Perry White is always screaming at everyone to get to work on the breaking story. His favorite words to scream are 'Kent!', 'Lane!', and 'Goddammit Olsen!'. And third, Clark tends to disappear with his Justice Pals, masking it as 'vacation' and leaving her and Jimmy to haul most of the work.

"I get it he's Superman and all, but can he at least try to create a 'Clark-clone' or something?" She whispers under her breath.

"GODDAMMIT OLSEN!" Perry's voice roars in the office space.

 _"Right on cue,"_ Lois thought.

"You delivered this information way too late! What am I even paying you for?!" Perry shouts, the cigar still in his mouth.

"B-but it happened like a few minutes ago!" Jimmy whines.

"I don't want your excuses! I said get me stories within 'seconds', not minutes! We have to ensure the Daily Planet is the first one to publish these stories!" Perry roars. As much as Lois would've loved to hear the verbal beat down Perry dishes out to Jimmy, she had to interrupt it. She _is_ the star of the Daily Planet after all!

"What's the scoop, Perry?" Lois asks when she steps into his office.

“Lane! Just the woman I need! Olsen here just got word, MINUTES late, that Superboy and Wonder Girl were seen fighting an unknown metahuman in downtown San Francisco!”

“ _Conner?”_ Lois thought. “I'll get right to it,” she says.  


“Atta girl! Take Olsen with you. KENT!”

"Clark's er... On vacation, remember?" Jimmy says.

“GODDAMMIT OLSEN!”

“What did I do?!”

Lois chuckles as she walks back to her desk. She sits in her chair and begins her research. An email notification catches her attention. She opens it and narrows her eyes at the contents.

“ _From: 1082611098653_P41M3_52@mutemail.com_

_To: loislane@dailyplanet.com_

_Subject: TIP / Secret Illegal Activities_

_You don't know me. I have to make this quick. They might be monitoring._

_I've been working on the senior team of a secret organization known as N.O.W.H.E.R.E. They are located in a hidden base in the Arctic known as the Colony. I'm risking my life by sending this but I can't stand by the sidelines anymore._

_Terrible things are happening here. Dozens of young metahumans are being experimented on. Something about a device called the Time Render. I'm not sure of its full capabilities, but I heard it has the power to control time, as hard as that sounds. They're trying to harness its vast amount of power. People are being hurt and N.O.W.H.E.R.E is selling the data for money._

_It needs to be exposed.”_

"N.O.W.H.E.R.E?" Lois says the name out loud.

"What is it, Lois?" Jimmy asks as he approaches her desk.

"I just got this weird email. What do you-" she was interrupted by the sound of her computer screen shutting off. The two reporters look at it, then at each other.

"What just-" Jimmy begins to say but was interrupted when the computer turns on again. However, instead of showing her the mysterious email, it instead shows the face of an old man in a top hat.

“Greetings, citizens of Earth. I am known as the Outsider. I have a message to the world.”

Murmurs erupt in the office. Lois looks to see that every screen is playing the same video. Even her phone on the desk is playing it.

"I hereby declare that the Justice League is dead. The Secret Society has uprooted every government in the world."

The sounds of explosions caught everyone's attention. They run to the windows to see a horrifying sight. A nearby apartment complex is engulfed in flames. People are running and screaming in the streets. Cars drive widely, some striking unfortunate people in their paths. It was as if someone flicked a switch and began the apocalypse.

“Let the anarchy begin.”

* * *

**Meanwhile**

The first thing Donna felt when she woke up was an Earth-shattering headache. It felt like someone used the power of Zeus himself and smack her head repeatedly. She let out a painful groan as she tries to open her eyes.

“Look who's decided to wake up,” a voice spoke up. It sounded familiar.

"W-w-w-where am I?" Donna stutters. By the Gods! The pain in her head increased when her blurry eyes open.

"Take it easy, you suffered a lot more wounds than us," another voice, this time feminine, says soothingly.

Donna recognized her voice. “K-Kori?”

"Yes Donna, I'm here. We ALL are," Kori says.

The events of earlier rush through Donna's head. This time she willed her eyes to clear. The first thing she notices is Conner's face. Donna blinks as she tries to process what she's seeing. Yup, that's Conner's face all right. But why is he so close to her? Her eyes trail down, and the further down they go, the more they widen in horror. She is practically on top of Conner. Her body is on her side with her arm spread across the symbol of the House of El, and her leg entangled with his own. Their faces were mere centimeters from each other, and his arm is wrapped around her waist. Donna let out a loud shriek as she leaps away from the sleeping clone. Her scream cuts short as she groans from her headache. Laughter catches her attention, with Beast Boy's being the most obvious and loudest.

"Oh, man! Did you hear her scream?" Beast Boy laughs.

"Ha-ah! I KNEW Donna would be the first to wake up. Pay up!" Jaime says as he nudges Roy.

"Dude, I'll pay you back AFTER we get out of here!" Roy snaps, a little peeved he was wrong.

"You guys are so immature..." Raven deadpans as she scowls at them.

"You gotta admit, it was kind of cute," Karen states with a wide grin.

"W-w-what are you guys laughing at?!" Donna cries out, trying to fight the dark blush that is glowing on her face.

Terra giggles. "It was cute watching you and Conner cuddle~" she sings.

"WHAT?! We were NOT cuddling!" Donna cries out louder.

"We would've woken you up, but we had to get our fair share of pictures in," Beast Boy says with a devilish grin.

Donna's face blanches. "You didn't..."

"Yup! And when we get out of here, I'm posting it on the Teen Titans Twitter account!" He laughs with glee. Terra proceeds to sock him in the side, causing Beast Boy to whimper as he crumbles to the ground.

"NOW you're taking it too far, you idiot!" she scolds. "Don't worry about him, we didn't take any pictures. Whoever tossed us in here took away all of our equipment."

"O-oh... Okay..." Donna says, feeling a little sorry for Beast Boy as he whimpers on the ground.

"Can we please stop fooling around, and try to come up with some sort of plan?!" Damian almost screams.

"Damian's right. We've got to put our heads, and get out of this mess," Dick says. That seemed to sober everyone up. Now that Donna had calmed down, she can take a moment to look around her surroundings. The room they are in is surprisingly squeaky clean. The floors, wall, the ceiling, and even the door seem to have no traces of imperfection. It's sort of creepy just how clean the room is as if their kidnappers made sure for them to feel welcome. Other than that, nothing else caught her eyes. The door itself was a little odd too. There is no noticeable handle, and it looks as if the door is integrated into the walls. There is also no visible way to see out of the room. Just where are they?

"H-how long were Kon and I out?" Donna asks. Her headache had thankfully subsided a bit.

"You know as much as us. We all woke up a few minutes before your screaming outburst," Damian says.

Donna chooses to ignore that last part. She notices someone was missing. "Where's Wallace?"

Kori shakes her head. "We don't know. He wasn't here when we woke up. I hope they haven't taken him to... to..." She chokes as she fought back tears.

"Hey, hey. It's okay," Dick says as he hugs his fiancee.

“It's my job to protect the team, but I failed at that-”

"I'm gonna have to stop you right there," Damian interrupts. "None of us would've predicted what Warblade was up to. Beating yourself up over this will only hinder us more."

"What Damian means to say-" Raven says as she sends a small glare to her boyfriend, "- is that you shouldn't blame yourself for everything. It's a job all of us Titans agreed to do, no matter how dangerous."

"Y-y-yeah... D-d-don't beat yourself u-u-up too m-m-much Kori," Beast Boy says, his voice muffled on the floor where he stayed after Terra hit him.

Kori perks up at their words. "Thank you all."

"Now with that out of the way, will someone please wake up Sleeping Beauty over there?" Damian says as he nods at Conner.

"You don't have to. I'm wide awake," Conner's voice pipes up.

"W-what?! You were? How much did you hear?!" Donna demands. She prays to the Gods he wasn't awake when the others were teasing her.

"When our dear leader was about to cry," Conner says as he sits up with a groan. "Did anyone get the license of that Kryptonite truck that ran me over?"

"Yeah, its called Warblade," Jaime replies sarcastically.

Conner laughs as he fully stands up. "Great! I don't have to bug Batman to track the bastard."

"Language, Conner," Kori scolds.

"Right. Sorry," Conner says with a sheepish smile. He pockets out his aviators and places them over his eyes with a playful grin. "SO... A fine mess we've got ourselves into."

Damian snorts. "That's an understatement of the century. We got our asses handed to us by one villain."

"Damian!" Kori says.

Damian scowls. "Sorry, _mother_.”

"To be fair, we didn't know exactly who we were dealing with," Roy says.

"Another new creep we have to deal with. The life of a Titan sure is hard," Terra says with a sigh. "Easy for you to say, you weren't the one getting a surprise visit while you were out on a date," Conner says. "I hope Tana's okay..."

"I'm sure she's alright, Kon," Donna says as she places a hand on his shoulder in support. Conner flashes a smile at her as thanks. She had to fight the blush that is starting to blossom on her face.

"...So, now what?" Jaime asks. As if to answer his question, the room suddenly jolts, causing everyone to stumble. The room seems to hum as it starts moving.

"Looks like we're about to find out what's happening," Dick says as he regains his balance.

"Greetings, Teen Titans," a voice booms around them. A large holographic screen appears above them. In it is the dark outline of a figure in a tall coat. The mysterious man's glasses seem to glow as he stares at them.

"Who are you?" Damian demands.

“I am Zaniel Templar, director of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.”

"What do you want with the Titans, Templar?" Kori asks.

"What's the point of spoiling the surprise?" Templar teases with a dark grin.

"Listen here, pal. I'm in a pretty bad mood after your Warblade prick crashed on my date. Now spill the details!" Conner growls. Templar grew quiet as he stares at them.

“It seems your still as arrogant as you've always been, Conner Kent.”

If Conner was surprised he knows his full name, he didn't show it.

"How did you-?" Dick starts to say but Templar cuts him off.

“Oh, I know EVERYTHING about all you Titans, Richard John Grayson.”

Dick's jaw clenches as he narrows his eyes.

"Now that 'introductions' are over, I would like to show you all our base of operations. The Colony!" Templar says. Then the room around them changes from its solid silver state to a transparent one. What they saw is something they didn't expect. They were in some kind of elevator descending towards a massive facility surrounded in ice.

"Welcome to N.O.W.H.E.R.E's Arctic base of operations," Templar says.

"The Arctic?!" Beast Boy exclaims. The shape-shifting teen shivers at the sight.

"I don't believe it. How could you guys be down here with Superman's Fortress of Solitude having the Arctic on lockdown?" Conner asks.

"Simple. We were here before Superman was killed by Doomsday. Of course, we had to be extra careful since that accursed fortress spawned. But it is of no concern since we can monitor the fortress without Superman knowing. We learned quite a lot about the Man of Steel's schedule," Templar says with a chuckle.

"Enough talk, Templar! We demand you tell us why you brought us here!" Damian snaps.

Templar grins. "You all will be tested in the Crucible, where we force you young metahumans to fight in a tournament we call the Culling. The last ones standing will lead be part of a team of metahumans, the Ravagers!"

"You force metahumans to kill each other?" Blue Beetle asks in horror.

“Of course. Only the strongest have the right to join the Ravagers.”

"Bullshit!" Dick shouts. His outburst caught everyone by surprise as they look at a fuming Nightwing. "There is no way the Justice League or even us wouldn't have noticed that metahumans were disappearing!"

"Dick's right," Damian says. "The Justice League, and ESPECIALLY my father, would not have turned a blind eye on the abduction of metahumans."

Templar laughs hysterically at them. "Of course we did! Do you honestly think that we don't have moles in all forms of the American government? How about the Canadians here in the Great White North? Think again! NO government hasn't been infiltrated by N.O.W.H.E.R.E, not even the Justice League!" Templar laughs again at their expressions. "Oh yes, my young guinea pigs. Even the Justice League is compromised by N.O.W.H.E.R.E!"

The slow descent into The Colony has finally come to an end. The elevator changes back to its more solid-state. The front door hiss open to darkness.

"Welcome, Teen Titans. I have high hopes for you. Don't disappoint me," Templar warns as his holographic profile disappears. Seeing no other option, the Titans slowly walk into the hostile territory. The only source of light for their surroundings is from the open elevator.

“Be an alert, we don't know when an attack will come,” Kori said. The atmosphere is tense as they huddle in a circle to cover all sides. It was quiet. Too quiet.

"Looks like we got newcomers," a voice says from the darkness.

"Who's there?" Dick asks. The silence is his only answer. He is about to ask again but stops when he hears footsteps approaching them. They wait as two figures step into the light coming from the elevator. The Titans let out an audible gasp.

“No way...” Jaime.

“Impossible!” Roy.

“I am officially confused,” Beast Boy.

“Am I dreaming?” Karen.

"W-what is this?" Dick.

"Oh my..." Kori.

“Damian...” Raven.

“...” Damian.

“Kon? But...” Donna.

Leading the mysterious duo is a teen who looks identical to Conner. The only difference is that the mysterious teen's jet black hair is silky smooth, with a small kiss curl at the front. His striking blue eyes seem to glow as he stares at them. The costume he wears is a carbon-copy of the one Conner is in.

"...Who are you?" Conner asks as he steps forward.

“My name is... Jonathan Samuel Kent. Also known as Superboy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yes, Jonathan is here! But how is it possible that he exists in this timeline? Hmm... Who knows? ;)  
> Let us do the usual trivial stuff:
> 
> -Lois still knows that Clark is Superman in this timeline
> 
> -The Secret Society is starting to take over the world. How were they able to hide from everyone, while establishing shadow governments and operations across the world? That answer will be revealed in the future.
> 
> With this chapter, an adaption of the Forever Evil story is confirmed!


	4. The Superboy From Another Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fourth chapter is here! This will continue the "world building" so to speak. Let's start the chapter with our favorite tyrannical villain. 
> 
> Darkseid!

Darkseid watches over the roaring fires that sprout from his planet. Apokolips is an ecumenopolis with burning fire pits, ruled by the one and true Darkseid. The war that destroyed the Old Gods and created the twin worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips separated the Fourth World from the rest of the universe proper, leaving it accessible only by Boom Tubes. The Mad God rules over the inhabitants of Apokolips with an iron fist. No one dares to question or oppose him. The majority of the population were kidnapped from various worlds and brought back to be broken down and bend their knees to the might of Darkseid.

"My liege," a voice speaks up. Darkseid looks to see his most loyal servant and trustworthy member of his Elites.

"Desaad," Darkseid acknowledges. The scrawny man walks forward in his thick robes. He stops and bows before his master.

“I bring news of my travels throughout the galaxy.”

“Report.”

"Yes, my liege. I've searched countless worlds to find the body of Doomsday. But alas, we were not successful."

Darkseid grumbles. "To think someone has the nerve to steal that creature from me."

“Whoever they are sire, they are more cunning than we thought. Worst, the Green Lanterns are snooping around. I'm afraid I had a few encounters with them. No doubt they will report back to the Justice League no Earth.”

“It is of no consequence. The Green Lanterns and the Justice League are not a concern.”

“Er... My liege. You may want to reconsider that.”

“What?”

“Something is going on in the Earth Sphere my liege. I can feel it during my investigations. I overhear the Green Lanterns talking about someone with unfathomable power. The First Lantern.”

"The First Lantern?" Darkseid repeats as he turns towards his right-hand man.

“Yes. He is rumored to be the very first Lantern that existed in the multiverse. But it gets worst. I hear talks of the Lord of the Unliving, Nekron, is trying to cross over into the realm of the living.”

"NEKRON?!" Darkseid voice booms, shaking the entire area.

“Yes, my liege.”

"Impossible. To think that I, Darkseid, has not foreseen this."

"Almost as if someone is pulling our strings," a new metallic voice says.

Darkseid narrows his eyes as Cyborg-Superman walks forward from the shadows.

"Cyborg-Superman. What brings you to my world without my notice?" Darkseid growls. The Mad God would've struck him down at the spot but the cyborg can still be useful in his schemes.

"I come to verify Desaad's claims. Something big is happening. The Justice League was defeated. The Lantern Corps are fighting a desperate war against the First Lantern. Black Adam is trying to bring Nekron into this world. Civil unrest exploding across the galaxy. Almost as if some unknown forces are at work."

"There is NOTHING I do not know," Darkseid spats.

“Perhaps, or this unknown force is not only influencing this universe but possible the multiverse.”

Desaad uncharacteristically blanches. "A-are you saying-"

"I'm saying what we all are thinking," Cyborg-Superman interrupts. He walks up and stands beside Darkseid to look across the fire pits of Apokolips. "There is something out there. Something we all can't even begin to imagine."

* * *

**Space**

In the far reaches of space float a pair of glowing green objects. The light-emitting from these objects can be seen blinking in some sort of pattern. On closer inspection, the two objects are revealed to be green rings. A surge of will power radiates from them.

"Green Lantern of Sector 2814, Harold Jordan deceased."

"Green Lantern of Sector 1417, Thaal Sinestro deceased."

“Searching for next successor of Harold Jordan.”

“Searching for next successor of Thaal Sinestro.”

“...”

“...”

“Next successor found.”

“Next successor found.”

The pair of rings glow even brighter and blasts away in light speed to their destination.

Earth.

* * *

**Earth, the Arctic**

The room spun as Damian's brain tries to process the boatloads of information they just got. The Titans along their two companions sit in a small circle before the elevator, which is providing the only source of light in the small area. Kori is also using her Starbolts to provide more light. The area the Titans found themselves in after the elevator ride was what they believe to be a docking area. They tried to see if they can use the elevator to get back to the surface but gave up the effort. So far there has been no sign of anyone coming to get them, which unnerved Damian a little.

“ _Different timelines, parallel universes, multiverses, time travel, converging timelines. What. The. Hell?”_ Damian thought. _“Sure, there was that thing with Barry and Wally traveling the multiverse in 2016, but that sounds more believable than what this 'Jon' has been saying.”_

Here is the summary:

The organization known as N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is not from this Earth or the present. The organization was originally established in the 31 st century after the leader, someone Jon has never seen before but hears other members talk about, created it to hunt down metahumans. The leader's son was killed in the crossfire between a metahuman war, which drove the man to wage genocide against any metahumans. However the metahumans were too strong, and in a desperate attempt to escape, used an experimental time travel device known as the Time Render, to transport himself and his followers into the past. There they arrive in the 21 st century and began their expansion. The organization kidnapped and experimented on countless teenage metahumans so that they can be trained into future warriors that serve under N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Jon and the Teen Titans from his universe found out about the organization and staged a surprise attack. During the long battle, the Time Render malfunctioned and began warping the entire base. To save everyone, Jon used his Kryptonian speed to evacuate his Teen Titans members and the captive metahumans they rescued. However he got caught in the resulting dimension warp, and the entire base was teleported to their universe. 

"I know what I just told you all is a lot to take in, but you must know that I'm telling you all the truth," Jon says. Damian studies the supposed 'son' of Superman and Lois Lane. The super teen's blue eyes, which he got from Clark, is downcast. It would be almost impossible to disprove what he had said considering how eerily similar he looks like a young Clark and a twin brother to Conner. Damian could've easily said it was someone using a shapeshifting ability to lie to them, but Jon had displayed every characteristic of a bona fide Kryptonian. Everything from flying, heat vision, super strength, and even weakness to Kryptonite when Damian pulled out a hidden Green Kryptonite he had on him. He refused to answer why he even had it on him, but he suspects Conner knows the reason. Damian decides to look at the other person he saw with Jon.

If seeing another Superboy from another Earth was a shock, the person sitting beside him was another one. That person is Traci Thirteen, the girl who Jaime wouldn't shut up about whenever he's with the Titans. She is a homo magi and is the daughter of superhero Doctor Thirteen. Damian remembered John Constantine talking about someone by that name, but he disappeared some years ago. Traci lives with foster parents Sue and Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man of the Justice League. Traci can use what she calls Urban Magic, which draws power from a city. She even had the pleasure of working with Superman on some supernatural incidents when he was in San Francisco one time.

"I was practicing my magic in the soup kitchen when all of a sudden these men barged in. I couldn't react fast enough to escape. I just know mom and dad will be worried sick." she had said. Damian usually keeps a close look at the schedule of the Titans. According to Jaime's schedule, he always goes to Gabrielle's Horn to work at noon, and finish his shift at eight if there are no incidents that require his assistance. Traci closes the shop at ten in the night. Jaime worked there the day before they were attacked, and Traci was there. Which means that she was kidnapped between the time Jaime left and the following day. Damian can tell Jaime felt pretty awkward, considering the girl of his dreams is right in front of him. Damian found that she is trustworthy enough, but he will still keep an eye on her. He turns his attention to Jon. There is a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that screams whenever he looks at the super teen. Something feels...  _off_ about him.

"If you keep staring so hard at Jon, Raven might get jealous," Conner speaks up. Damian shakes his head and sends a scathing glare at the clone.

“Unlike your happy go lucky attitude, I still have the brains to be skeptical of everything.”

"Well I for one, believe Jon," Conner says.

Jon perks up at that. "You do?"

“Of course! Erm... I _might've_ focused my Kryptonian senses on you to see if you were lying," Conner says with a sheepish smile. 

Jon shakes his head. “Don't worry, I take no offense. I would've done the same if I was in your position.”

"There is one thing though," Dick speaks up. "If you were one of the first to be captured in this universe, how are you here?"

“ _Leave it to Dick to ask the good questions,”_ Damian thought.

Jon smiles sadly. "I was born with a serve illness that still takes a toll on me. It took all I got to demonstrate my Kryptonian abilities to you guys earlier."

This caught everyone's attention. "An illness? What is it?" Conner asks.

Jon shakes his head. "I'm not too sure. I think it has something to do with my Kryptonian-Human genes? In my short time as a Teen Titan, the illness will flare up at random times. My parents even thought of taking me off the team, but I convinced them to let me stay. Shortly after that, we had our battle with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. The rest is history."

Everyone mulls over what Jon told them.

"That still doesn't explain how N.O.W.H.E.R.E lets you roam around the place freely. I thought you were their 'prisoner'," Damian says.

"Damian's right," Dick agrees. "Look we sympathize with you, but we still have reservations about your story."

The other Titans murmur among themselves. Kori frowns as she can't argue with Damian and Dick's logic.

"I know. I'll show you that I'm telling the truth," Jon says as he stands up. He turns around and moves the hair that covers the back of his neck. Attached to his neck is a strange device with green liquid in it.

"This is what they use to keep me in check. I put up quite a fight at first, but my illness and the fact I was outnumbered didn't add to my favor. I was eventually knocked out, and they attached this device to me. It tracks my movements and vital signs. But it also injects a small dose of Kryptonite into my bloodstream, just enough not to kill me but to get their point across," Jon says bitterly.

"That's horrible!" Karen gasps.

"Sick bastards..." Roy growls.

Conner clenches his hands into fists as he glares at the device on Jon's neck.

"Ever since then I have been subjected to various experiments that test my abilities. I've watched countless others experimented on as well. I wanted to desperately help, but with this device and my illness, I couldn't do a thing." Jon covers the device and turns to them with a pained expression.

Nobody said anything for a moment until Conner stands up and approaches Jon. "I promise we'll get those bastards for what they did to you. ALL of us will."

Each Titan sounds their approval, even Damian did with a strong nod. Jon tearfully smiles at them as he wipes the tears that were starting to build.

**[FLASH!]**

The moment is interrupted when the lights turn on in the room, blinding everyone. The sound of heavy-duty doors opening caught their attention.

"Looks like they've finally come to get us," Jon says.

**[HISS]**

A large cloud of steam releases as the metal circular door slide open. A dozen armed men in silver armor run into the room and surround the Teen Titans. They didn't draw their weapons but each has their hands on the trigger. A lone figure steps out of the fog to reveal a middle-aged man dress in the same silver armor but without a helmet. The man's face is set in a neutral and flat look as if he's bored. 

"Welcome Teen Titans," the man says in a monotone voice. "I am Doctor David Umber, head biophysicist of N.O.W.H.E.R.E."

"Doctor Umber..." Jon speaks up.

"Ah, Jonathan. I wonder where you disappeared to. I see you've gone and greeted the newcomers like you always do."

"Yes," Jon replies. "Everyone you don't need to worry about Doctor Umber. He's a friend."

"A friend?" Conner repeats. "How could someone in this shitty organization be a 'friend'?" Conner questions as he stalks forward. The armed guards raised their rifles, forcing the Titans to put up a defensive stance.

"Stand down," Doctor Umber says. The guards comply and lower their rifles. He allows Conner to stop in front of him.

"The things N.O.W.H.E.R.E are doing are indeed mortally questionable but I feel it is for the betterment of science," Doctor Umber says in the same monotone voice. A surprising genuine grin appears on his face. "It's good to see you again."

Conner's glare is replaced with a confused look. "Again?"

Doctor Umber's smile drop. “Do you not remember me?”

“Sorry but I don't. And I never forget a face. Except for Clayface.”

"Hmm..." Doctor Umber turns around with a hand on his chin. "Well, no matter. Let us depart to the Colony's main base."

“Oh yeah? And what makes you think we will go willingly?” Beast Boy asks. Instead of replying, Doctor Umber simply walk ahead. Beast Boy grumbles at being ignored.

"Let's play along for now," Dick whispers to them. "Once we get a better idea of what we're dealing with, we'll come up with a plan."

With that, the Teen Titans board what seems to be a small trolley. Once they all file in, one of N.O.W.H.E.R.E's men tap a few buttons on the control console and the trolley begins its voyage.

"The ride to the base might take some time, so I can answer any questions you have," Doctor Umber speaks up. The Titans look at each other until Conner takes him up on his offer.

“Earlier you said that 'it's good to see you again'. If what you said is true, then you must've been involved with Lex. Am I right?" He asks. 

Doctor Umber perks up at that. “Yes, I was one of the many people on the Superman Revival Project funded by Lex Luthor. I'll start from the beginning.” He looks up at the ceiling of the trolley in deep thought.

"After Brainiac invaded Metropolis in 2011, the U.S Government created the Department of Extranormal Operations to track and investigate metahuman activity. I joined the D.E.O shortly after the formation of the Justice League in 2014 and worked there until I transferred to the sub-division of D.E.O, the Department of Metahuman Affairs. It was from there I meant Dabney Donovan, co-founder of Project Cadmus. He told me Project Cadmus is planning on creating clones of Superman for the U.S Army. He brought me on board on the project but most of our creations were failures. It was only after Superman's death in 2018 by Doomsday that our project got more funding from Lex Luthor."

Conner put a hand on his chin in thought. “Okay, I understand that much but if you were part of the committee that created me, how come I don't remember you?”

Doctor Umber shrugs. "Maybe they wiped your memory? Donovan was always a prideful and envious man. Our relationship had deteriorated the more I contributed to the project. He didn't like the new guy stealing the 'spotlight'."

"That sounds like him all right..." Conner mutters out of the corner of his mouth.

"So as I'm sure you can assume, I was fired. I was bitter and even contemplate sending an anonymous tip to the Feds. However, I was approached by Templar to join N.O.W.H.E.R.E. I have been working with them ever since."

"Hmm..." Conner hums in thought.

“There is one thing I want to know. How is Donovan doing these days? I heard Lex has joined the Justice League, which even I was surprised by.”

"He's dead. Lex released the failed clones and trapped Donovan with them," Conner says bitterly. "I wanted to help him but I was still in shock after learning that I was a clone."

"Good riddance," Doctor Umber says with a small amount of venom. "That man was a selfish, inept human who always takes credit for other's accomplishments."

Silence falls over them after Doctor Umber's story. Raven in particular found something odd. From her Empathy, Doctor Umber seems like a 'noble' man who has a drive for science. There is no way a man like himself will willingly work for N.O.W.H.E.R.E.

"Doctor Umber," Raven speaks up. All eyes turn to her as she stands beside Conner. "Why are you working for N.O.W.H.E.R.E? I'm sure with someone in your position should know about the horrible things the organization is doing to young metahumans. Forcing them to fight each other, even to the death? What will that accomplish? It can't be for the 'betterment' of science. There are other methods of helping metahumans with their powers."

Doctor Umber eyes her for a good moment. He then sighs and tilts his head. "I think you're confused. You may think I'm a morally 'good' person but that is far from the truth. I always wanted to push the boundaries of humans in the world of science. N.O.W.H.E.R.E provided the gateway I needed in my pursuits. Nothing more, nothing less."

The line was delivered with a stoic and monotone voice. It could easily fool everyone but not Raven.

“ _An obvious lie... There is more to this Doctor Umber than a stereotypical man who has an endless thirst to push the boundaries of science.”_

"I see... Thank you," she says as she steps back. Damian raises his eyebrows at her in question.

“ _We should keep on eye on Doctor Umber. There is more to him than meets the eye,”_ she says in her Psychic Link to Damian. 

“ _Noted,”_ He replies. 

"Any more questions?" Doctor Umber asks.

"Yes. We had a new member joined us. He was with us when we engaged with Warblade, but he was never with us when we woke up in the elevator," Kori says.

“Ah, you must be talking about Kid Flash. Don't worry, we didn't separate him from you guys. Warblade told me that he ran off after you guys were unconscious.”

"What?! He ditches us!? Talk about not sticking with your teammates," Beast Boy grumbles.

"Well, I don't exactly blame him..." Karen says.

"Sir, we've arrived," one of the guards interrupts.

Doctor Umber nods. "Good. Please refrain from trying anything. I'd hate for things to escalate before the Culling starts."

* * *

What awaited them was not what they expected. The main hub of the Colony is a large open area with hundreds upon hundreds of N.O.W.H.E.R.E employees. The majority of them were armed guards walking around, while some wear lab coats carrying data pads. Above them lay walkways that lead in every direction. Flying machines hum and buzz as they fly.

"How the hell did you guys manage to build all of this?" Jaime asks. He's not gonna lie, he is downright awestruck at what he's seeing.

“When the unstable Time Render transported the Colony to this Earth, the entire base was preserved without any severe damages. Most of the equipment survived the battle against the other world's Teen Titans, so it didn't take long for N.O.W.H.E.R.E to start back up again,” Doctor Umber explains. "Now if you all will follow me." 

Doctor Umber along with his guards lead the Teen Titans through the busy hub. It didn't take long before they stand in front of a tall metal double door. Doctor Umber walks up to a holographic identifier and type in a series of codes.

"Beyond this door is where you will meet the Ravagers. They are members that survived previous tournaments of The Culling," he explains.

"Is that so? Well, let's spice up our greeting then!" Conner says. He places his aviators over his eyes and turns to his teammates with a cocky grin.

"Conner, don't-" Damian begins to say.

"Yeah, yeah," Conner waves his hand nonchalantly, causing Damian to scowl. "Just follow my lead. We gotta show these punks we mean business. Mind if I lead the way?" Conner asks Doctor Umber.

He shrugs. "Go for it," he says with a tiny hint of mirth. The metal doors groan as they slowly widen. Conner took point and strut in with a smile. More than a dozen figures await him. Some gather in groups, while others keep to themselves.

"HEEEEELLLOOOO, Ravagers!" Conner shouts with his arms crossed. "The Teen Titans, have arrived!"

Everyone turns their attention to the clone. Damian facepalms behind him, while Beast Boy laughs out loud. Conner can feel all eyes on his walk into the lion's den.

"SO," He continues, "I hear some of you are already part of N.O.W.H.E.R.E's attack dogs," he says as his eyes jump from one to another. "Can't say I'm impressed."

"You talk big for someone who got captured, boy," a feminine voice says.

"Wait... That voice... Isn't that?-" Terra says. A feminine figure walks forward, with long flowing white hair swaying behind her.

"Rose Wilson?!" Dick exclaims.

"Grayson," Rose acknowledges.

"So," Damian speaks up. "The new employer you mentioned during our previous encounter, is N.O.W.H.E.R.E?"

"You catch on fast, Boy Wonder," Rose teases.

"She's a Wilson all right..." Damian grumbles.

"Listen, toots," Conner says. "I don't care about your history! I-"

**[SHWING!]**

Too fast for the eye to see, Rose unsheathe one of her twin blades. She grins as she rests her blade against Conner's neck.

"I heard your quite the hotshot, boy," she whispers into his ear. "Make sure you keep your head straight around here, lest you lose it."

"R-right..." Conner gulps.

"Good boy. You deserve a reward," she says as she kisses him on the cheek. Roy whistles and Donna sees red as she glares at the femme fatale.

"Back off Rose. That one is my prey," a metallic voice says. Warblade made his presence known as he stalks forward.

Rose sheathes her blade and shrug. "Sure, he's all yours. Besides, I'm not interested in little boys."

"Don't call me 'boy'!" Conner snaps. Rose playfully ruffles his hair as he pouts.

"Still fooling around with Jason?" Dick asks as he walks up, in case things escalate.

"It's complicated..." Rose says in a teasing tone.

Dick narrows his eyes. "Yeah, I bet it is."

"About time you brats joined us. I was wondering if you guys had found a way to escape and run away. Not like it matters, I'll just capture you all again," Warblade taunts.

"Fat chance of us running away. I still got a score to settle with you," Conner says.

“Oh? You got the strength to back that claim?”

“You caught me off guard last time, but I'll get you back triple for that. For ruining my date, attacking my teammates, and pissing me off.”

Warblade laughs out loud. "You talk tough, brat. How about I remind you who's stronger?" Warblade said as he stands a few inches from the clone. Dick moves to intercept, but Conner blocks him. The two size each other up. Warblade is much taller than the clone and uses that difference in height to cast an ominous aura. However, Conner didn't as much flinch as he looks up at the metallic metahuman.

"Now, now," Doctor Umber says. "What did I say about fighting too soon, Conner?"

"Doctor Umber is right," a new voice booms. Bright light shines from above as a small platform starts to descend. Shrouded in the light is the figure of man, his glasses glowing. The man has his pockets in his lab coat. Once the platform reaches the ground, the man steps off with loud steps revealing himself as Templar. 

"If you morons start killing each other before we officially started the Culling, our leader would consider it a failure. Which means in HIS eyes I would be a failure. Does anyone else here think I'm a failure?" Templar asks menacingly. His body starts to twitch and rumble underneath his lab coat as he stalks forward. "I HATE being considered a failure. I DON'T have the patience for failure. And when I lose my patience... I lose CONTROL!" Suddenly dark snake-like creatures burst from the Templar's body. Conner reacts by grabbing Doctor Umber and jumping away, as did Dick, Rose, and Warblade. The creatures flail around, snapping their jaws at anyone in the vicinity. The metahumans close by had to dodge out of the way as well, except one unlucky fellow. The snake-like creatures tore into a young metahuman. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as blood and gore splat across the ground. The creatures noisily munch on his insides.

"Jesus Christ!" Roy exclaims at the gruesome death.

"Dude... I think I'm gonna be sick..." Beast Boy groans.

"That's messed up..." Jaime says.

"Disgusting!" Terra and Karen exclaim.

"Hera..." Donna says as she blanches.

"Horrible..." Kori says as she turns her eyes away.

Damian's hands clench in rage.

“ _Darkness Manipulation?!”_ Raven exclaim in her thoughts. 

The other Ravagers murmur among themselves at the grisly scene.

Satisfied with their meal, the snakes retreat underneath Templar's lab coat.

"Oh my, that was unprofessional of me. Forgive me for losing myself there," Templar says.

"Forgive you?! You just killed someone in cold blood!" Dick shouts.

Templar shrugs. "Mistakes happen, DEATH happens. Let his death serve as a warning." Templar spreads his arms out with a dark grin. "I'm sure you've heard this countless times, but welcome Teen Titans to N.O.W.H.E.R.E. I hope you all don't disappoint me..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo-wee, there is a lot to unpack with this one, so let's get to that, shall we?
> 
> \- Someone or something had apparently taken Doomsday's body from Apokolips? Who could be so brazen to do such a thing? And under the Mad God's nose too? This means no Paradooms for ol' Darkseid to wreck havoc with. Now the question is... where IS Doomsday???
> 
> \- Cyborg-Superman is alive! And he isn't going to give up on his revenge on Superman and the Super Family.
> 
> I got a little secret to share with you all... the Green Lantern mythos has got to be my favorite thing in all of Comics! So I'm proud to confirm that the next story in this series will be a Green Lantern one! It will serve as a sequel AND prequel to Teen Titans: Blood Harvest. So stay tuned for:  
> Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Revenge of the First Lantern!  
> An adaptation of Rise of the Third Army and Wrath of the First Lantern storylines!


	5. The Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the delayed upload, life decided to throw a wrench in my schedule. Don't worry, it's nothing serious! My job is getting into its busy season, so there was a lot to do.
> 
> Anyways, here is the fifth chapter. The usual "world building" will occur, but next chapter will officially be the start of the Culling.
> 
> And before I forget, I want to say a happy belated Canada Day, and a happy Independence Day to my fellow American brothers and sisters down south! :D

"Blimey... my head's killing me. Felt like I suffered another karaoke session from Dinah," John Constantine, the expert occult detective from Liverpool, England, croaks. It feels like his body is floating in some kind of liquid. He opens his eyes to see nothing but a dark oppressive atmosphere.

**[BUMP!]**

John blinks as something bump against his body. He turns his head to the side to see a skeleton with its mouth wide open floating beside him. Instead of screaming, John merely nudges the skeleton away.

"Piss off..." He growls. John would've laid there but the incessant screams of the damned forces him to wake up. With a heavy sigh, he pulls his heavy body out of the liquid. He takes a look around him.

Red.

That is all John can see. The red liquid reaches his knees. All around him are floating skeletons. Possibly hundreds or even thousands surround him. He dips a finger in the red liquid and tastes it.

Blood.

"I think I had too much to drink last night..." John mutters. "Okay, got to think. What happened? How did I get here?"

**[BURBLE]**

Something in the blood sea move behind him. John whip around, and a sense of dread wash over him. Standing not too far away is something he's never seen in his life. John has fought against countless demons and nightmarish creatures but the thing that stands before him sends shivers down his spine. The eldritch abomination slithers its way in front of him. The oppressive aura radiating from it makes him nauseous.

"W-what are you?" He asks.

"John Constantine..." the creature whispers his name. "You just couldn't help yourself. You had to defy fate and restart this universe. You should've let it all die but you couldn't let go."

The whispering voice of the creature sends head-splitting pain in his brain. Eldritch symbols and runes appear in his mind. John screams as he falls to his knees in agony.

"W-w-w-w-w-who are you?!" John stutters.

"I've always existed, John. Humanity's sins have grown and consumed this universe. I am the product of those sins. Let me jog your memories...”

In an instant, the creature stands before him. It grabs his head and tightens its hold. John howl in agony as scenes flash in his mind.

Scenes of a past life.

The creature let go of John's head and the occult detective slump forward.

"I... I... I remembered. Everything," he whispers. His eyes stare at the blood sea in shock.

“You of all people should know there are consequences for meddling in affairs you have no business in. Now you will pay the price.”

"But why now? Why this exact year? Are we cursed to suffer in 2020 forever?!" John shouts. The creature didn't answer as it towers over him. It then begins to slither away as it slowly disappears into the blood sea.

"I already have your Justice League Dark companions," It says.

John's heart froze. Oh God, Zatanna!

"WHAT ARE YOU?!" John roars into the air.

There was a brief moment of silence. Then-

“Blight.”

* * *

**Meanwhile**

Conner lazily holds the giant machinery above him with one hand. The clone yawn dramatically in an open palm.

"Impossible. The subject is pressing over three tons!" One of N.O.W.H.E.R.E's scientist exclaims.

"With only one hand!" Another says.

"You guys can pump up the weight if you want," Conner suggests.

"Sir?" One of the scientists asks.

"Increase the weight," Doctor Umber says. The scientists glance at each other before adding two more tons to the machine. Conner let out a surprised cry at the sudden weight but he quickly recovered.

"Double it," Doctor Umber says.

"Is that wise, sir?" One of the scientists asks.

Doctor Umber nods. "He can handle it."

"All right. The total output of the weight is... ten tons!"

Conner let out a growl as he now holds the weight of the machine with two hands. Half a minute later his knees begin to wobble at the pressure above his head.

"Okay, that should be enough," Doctor Umber finally says. The scientists immediately deactivate the machine and store it into the ceiling. Conner huffs as he steps off the platform he was standing on.

"That was quite impressive, Conner," Doctor Umber praises.

"If you thought that was impressive, I bet you wouldn't believe how many Superman did when he was with the Legion," Conner says as he rolls his shoulders. After Templar's appearance, Conner along with the Teen Titans was sent to participate in a series of tests in preparation for the Culling. Dick insists they play along so that they can find a way to help the captive metahumans, as well as establish a way to contact the Justice League. The tests were pretty simple: a set of challenges that records the strength, speed, and abilities of the Teen Titans. They even healed Conner and Donna from the injuries they sustained fighting against Warblade in some kind of healing pod filled with green liquid. The liquid pod reminds Conner of the one he was in when he was at Project Cadmus. After the Teen Titans were done with their tests, they were escorted one by one back to the room where the Ravages were. Dozens of guards are also there to keep the peace between everyone. Since Conner sustained the most damage against Warblade, he was the last one to partake in the tests. Of course, he passed them with flying colors.

"Oh, I bet I would. Superman's power level far exceeds those on Earth, and maybe even the entire galaxy." Doctor Umber turns away as he taps away at the datapad in his hand. "That concludes our checkup with you. You can go join your friends in preparation for the Culling."

"Right..." Conner trails off in thought. "Look, Doctor Umber, I have to know, are you REALLY okay with all of this? What N.O.W.H.E.R.E is doing to metahumans? Even if it's in the 'name of science'? I may have forgotten about you, but the short amount of time I've spent with you tells me you aren't someone who would participate in something like this willingly."

"..." Doctor Umber stops typing on his datapad and remains silent. After a few tense moments, he sighs and turns around. "It's a lot complicated than that, Conner. You will understand later."

Conner tilts his head in confusion. "What do you-?"

“You should get going. The Culling will start soon. You don't want to get on Templar's bad side, he's the type who doesn't have mercy.”

"Right... Thank you for everything Doctor Umber," Conner says as he holds out his hand. Instead of shaking it, Doctor Umber crouches down and hug Conner.

"Take care. I'll be rooting for you," he says.

"...Oooooookay..." Conner says, completely confused. He took his leave with two guards as an escort. Doctor Umber watches him exit the lab. He turns around and began tapping away at his datapad.

“ _I hate this. I hate pretending to enjoy doing this. But I have to be careful. If I show too much emotion, they will get suspicious. I didn't mean to hug Conner, but my resolve was broken for a second,”_ he thought as he wipes his forehead. _“I hope Lois Lane can pull through...”_

* * *

Damian scowls as he impatiently taps his foot on the ground. He along with other members of the Teen Titans gather in one corner of the room. The corpse of the young metahuman that was slain by Templar was long cleaned up. He watches as the Ravagers mill about their business. Unlike the Teen Titans, the Ravagers don't seem to like each other that much. He can see Warblade, who had removed his helmet to reveal a mature face belonging to a Caucasian, is talking with another metallic metahuman who is of Asian descent. Rose is mediating on the ground close by them. Her guard may look like its down but that's far from the truth.

"Please tell me why we can't take action?" Damian asks.

Dick sighs. "I want to bust out of here just as much as you do, but we can't be hasty. We saw how far Templar will go. He had no remorse in killing that metahuman. Who's to say he won't do worst?" He reasons. "Once we have a better idea of how many metahumans they have captive and a clear escape route to establish a connection to the Justice League, THEN we can act. For now, we play along."

Damian is about to retort but he is interrupted by a group of loud voices beyond the door leading into the room.

"Wait! Don't go in there!" He hears Jon's panicked voice.

"Don't worry about it! I wanna see the Teen Titans!" A jolly voice of a teenage boy responds.

"But you don't even know the passcode to enter!" Jon argues.

"Who said we didn't?" A different teenage boy says. There was silence on the other end until the metal doors groan loudly as they open. Standing on the other side are four individuals. The first is the shortest of the bunch, a teenage boy dress in a pair of black boots, blue jeans, and a red jacket with a roaring T-Rex. He has spiky red hair and dark Grey eyes. Hanging around his neck is a giant fossilized tooth. The second is a teenage girl dress in a pair of brown boots, black thigh-high socks, a black miniskirt, and a yellow jacket with a flying Pteranodon. She has short brown hair with green eyes. The third is the tallest of the group, a teenage boy dress in a pair of black dress shoes, black dress pants, and a blue jacket with a roaring Triceratops. He has long black hair tied in a ponytail with blue eyes. Below each of their respective pictures of the dinosaurs is the words "RAMPAGE BREAKERS!" in a dramatic prehistoric-like stylized font. The fourth person is a pale Jonathan Lane Kent who looks like he might pass out in worry.

"H-h-how did you..." Jon stammers.

"The security protocols in this place is a joke," the tall boy scoffs. "I bet even my little sister could bypass it."

"Whoa, this is so cool! The Teen Titans are here!" the short boy gushes.

"Calm down you idiot! You're making too much noise!" the girl scolds. The short boy ignores her and runs towards the Teen Titans, waving his short arms. The girl facepalms while the tall boy struts in with his hands in his dress pants.

"Wow! The Teen Titans. I am a huge fan!" the short boy says to the confused team of superheroes.

"What's with this kid?" Roy asks.

"And here I thought Gar on a sugar rush was hyper enough..." Jaime says.

"Hey!" Beast Boy says with a pout.

"Raleigh!" The girl screeches as she pulls him away from the Titans. "Will you get a grip?!"

"Oh right! Sorry, I kind of get carried away when I get excited!" He exclaims.

"...We noticed," Terra says dryly.

"Forgive my friend," the tall boy says once he reached them. He pockets out his hand, and strike Raleigh at the back of his neck. The hyper-instinct boy crumbles like a stack of bricks in the girl's arms. "That should give us some peace for a while. Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Nathan Edward Davis, she is Emma Tremblay, and our hyperactive friend is Raleigh Haise."

"Er... It's nice to meet you guys?" Dick says in more like a question. Nathan nods as he turns to look around the room. His gaze is analytic as if he is a machine scanning people.

"Are you three also metahumans captured by N.O.W.H.E.R.E?" Kori asks.

"Yes and no," Nathan says. "Yes, we were captured by N.O.W.H.E.R.E, but we aren't metahumans."

"Not metahumans? So why did N.O.W.H.E.R.E captured you guys?" Karen asks.

"I can answer that!" Jon says as he joins the conversation. "These three have the power of dinosaurs from a different world! But they can only use that power with the help of a transformation device."

"We call them Dino Braces," Nathan says.

"Wait, you guys can transform into real dinosaurs?!" Beast Boy asks with excitement.

“No. We don't physically transform into them but merely adopt their powers.”

"And we get some kick-ass costumes as well!" Emma adds, still holding an unconscious Raleigh.

"So what, are you guys superheroes as well?" Jaime asks.

Nathan shrugs. "We got our powers only a week ago. Long story short, a bunch of robotic dinosaurs went on a rampage in our city, and all three of us heard their cries to stop them. Don't ask me how, but we heard a nagging voice in our head. We meet up, bonded with the dinosaurs, and got our Dino Braces."

"I find that hard to believe," Damian scoffs. "IF there were a bunch of dinosaurs going on a rampage in an urban city, the whole world would've heard of it."

"Aren't you a smart one?" Nathan sarcastically says. "It's called a cover-up, genius. To prevent panic, the government came up with a bogus story. The damages to the city weren't too severe either, so it was easy to sell the lie."

Damian chooses to ignore the small jab that was thrown at him. "Right, so which city is this?"

“Ironically enough Toronto, home to the Raptors.”

"So you guys are Canadians? No wonder we didn't know," Dick says.

“Can't say I blame you. With today's world of superheroes, hardly any other news gets broadcast.”

"Even if one of your major cities almost crumbled under the rampage of robotic dinosaurs!" Emma says.

"How long have you guys been captured?" Kori asks.

"A few hours before we heard that you guys were heading to the Colony," Nathan answers.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Raleigh suddenly screams as he sprang to life. His outburst caught everyone except for Emma and Nathan off guard.

"That had got to be the worst dream I EVER had..." the redhead groans as he cracks his neck. He looks to see everyone staring at him. "Eh... Did something happened?"

"What happened is that you gave everyone a heart attack," Nathan says coolly. "Try and contain your energy, before I put you back to sleep."

They watch as the three Canadian teenagers started arguing with each other. Jon awkwardly steps away from them before he got drag into it.

"Are all Canadians crazy like them?" Jaime mutters to Beast Boy.

"Must be the colder weather," Beast Boy responds with a small laugh.

"Hey, guys what's going on?" Conner asks as he approaches them.

"Oh, nothing, just a bunch of fools making a scene," Damian responds as he crosses his arms with an angry aura.

"How did the tests go, Conner?" Jon asks his 'brother'.

“It was a breeze! Nothing that I can't handle.”

Jon chuckles. "I bet." The teen fell into silence as he looks off in the distance.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Conner asks.

"Huh? Oh! It's just..." Jon let out a loud sigh. "It's weird seeing so many similar faces, but they belong to different people."

"The Teen Titans from your world, I presume?" Damian asks.

Jon nods. "Whenever I see you guys, I think of my teammates. It's kind of hard to explain. You all possess the same personalities, traits, looks, and even the costumes are like a carbon copy." The sudden shift in atmosphere sober the Titans up, even the three Canadian newbies stopped their bickering to listen in.

"Oh oh oh oh!" Beast Boy pipes up. "Tell me about the version of me in your universe!"

That seems to perk Jon up as he describes his time with his Teen Titans. How the older members; Dick, Kori, Roy, and Karen; of the team left to create a new superhero team known as Young Justice shortly before he joined. He described everything from their battles to the simple things in life. Damian in particular was surprised how he and Jon had a 'brotherly' relationship, with the two even doing missions together.

"The only difference I know is that Donna is much older in my universe," Jon says.

"R-really? Did I join this Young Justice team as well?" Donna asks.

"Nope, you were part of the main Justice League. And you went by the name of Troia."

Donna's turquoise eyes lit up in shock. “I'm part of the Justice League? Cool!”

"What about me?" Conner asks, noticing that Jon didn't mention him during his story.

Jon's jolly mood instantly turns dark.

“Uh... That's not a good sign. I guess I didn't exist since you were known as Superboy?”

"No, you did exist. You were a lot older in my universe too and operated with the Young Justice... But... You were killed," Jon sadly says. 

"Oh..." Conner looks down. "Did I at least go down in a blaze of glory?" He asks, trying to lighten up the mood.

Jon seems to perk up at that. "You sacrificed yourself to save the world. That was why I felt honored when I got to continue using your mantel. You were my role model," Jon sincerely says.

"Aw man, your gonna make me blush. But I'm sure he would've been proud that you became the second Superboy," Conner says as he places a hand on Jon's shoulder.

"T-thank you! It means a lot to hear that from you," Jon says with a beaming smile.

“The Culling will start in a few minutes. You four are all non-combatants of the test. I suggest you all exit the room,” one of the guards spoke up a few feet away.

"T-that's right! We can't stay here! If Templar sees us here, he might lash out," Jon panics.

"I'm not afraid of Templar," Nathan coldly says. "And I don't plan on being here any longer."

"You got a plan?" Dick asks.

"You can say that. Right now, the scientists have confiscated our Dino Braces to analyze them."

"Only the three of us can use those Dino Braces!" Raleigh says with a huge smile. The energy bouncing off the short kid can make even the Flash blush.

"The problem is that we don't exactly know how to activate them," Emma adds.

"The robotic dinosaurs that rampaged in Toronto last week got stored in the Dino Braces when we activated them," Nathan said. "It might be a problem if three large dinosaurs got released and go on a rampage here."

"That does sound bad," Beast Boy says.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we can calm them down like last time!" Raleigh confidentially says.

"I believe you guys too have a plan or at least creating one?" Nathan asks.

Dick nodded. “From what Jon told us, there are more metahumans trapped here than us and the Ravagers. He said most of them are trapped in the Crucible.”

Nathan nods. "N.O.W.H.E.R.E likes to keep the younger metahumans in the Crucible to force them to survive the harsh environments. The ones strong enough to survive their time will be tested. Should they survive, they will join the Ravagers."

"Absolutely vile!" Terra growls.

"Yeah," Nathan agrees. "N.O.W.H.E.R.E has no problems sacrificing the lives of the weak to attain their goals." He turns his head to glare at the guards standing around. "I plan on rescuing the other metahumans, and turning this place into rubble."

"Then let us work together," Dick says as he holds out his hand. Nathan smirks and shakes it.

“When the time is right, we'll create a diversion with our Dino Braces.”

"But how will we know?" Karen asks.

"Trust us you will know," Nathan coolly replies. "We should take our leave. Good luck."

"We'll be rooting for ya!" Emma fist pump.

"SHOW THEM WHO'S THE STRONGEST!" Raleigh shouts dramatically. Nathan gives him a stink eye and promptly smacks the back of his neck.

"GUH!" Raleigh instantly crumbles again. Nathan catches him and drags him along with him. Emma shrugs and follows after them.

Jon chuckles nervously. "Good luck guys. Hopefully this time, we can put a stop to N.O.W.H.E.R.E's evil."

Conner nods. "You can count on us! But mainly me, since I'll be doing all the heavy lifting,"

"I highly doubt you have the mental capacity to even think ahead," Damian snidely says.

“Bite me, Boy Wonder.”

Jon happily left his newfound friends and exit the room.  _"I pray that they succeed. I'm sure with their help, I can return to my universe."_

The guards wait for a few more minutes, then they too file out. A few moments later and Templar enters the room with a grin.

"Look at him with his shit-eating grin..." Conner angrily mutters. "I'm gonna enjoy ruining their plans."

Templar stands in front of them and spread out his arms. "Welcome! The moment you all have been waiting for. The next Culling will commence in the Crucible. The rules are simple. All of you will be paired up with a random amount of members of your respective teams. All of you will be transported to different areas of the arena. All of your weapons and equipment will be there for you. And remember, only the strongest survive. If you die, that means you were weak!" Templar flicks his fingers. The room begins rumbling and a bright light cast down on them.

“Our leader expects great things from this Culling. Please don't disappoint him with a boring show," Templar says as he begins laughing. The bright light envelopes them all, transporting them to the Crucible. 

The Culling has officially begun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! First things first, there will be an adaptation of the Forever Evil: Blight storyline! I hope you all look forward to go on a cosmic/Lovecraftian adventure with the Justice League Dark team! I decided to change Blight's appearance into a more alien/Lovecraft inspired one, instead of what he looked like in the comics.
> 
> Those three Canadian's are my own OCs! I've based them off my favourite Super Sentai/Power Rangers team: Abaranger/Dino Thunder. I thought it is fitting that they draw power from dinosaurs, and live in Toronto, home of the Raptors. They will have their own story to tell, but that's far into the future. 
> 
> Hopefully work calms down so that I can get the next chapter out faster. Till then, take care!


	6. The Culling, Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I was able to get this chapter out much quicker than last time. Work had decided to cut me some slack, but I have a feeling it won't last. So, the Culling had officially begun! Will the Teen Titans put a stop to N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s madness?

Roy Harper considers himself someone who can handle a great amount of pressure. He was only ten-years-old when he fired his first arrow, and killed a man. Granted it was in self-defense, and the man in question was hardly a saint. Nevertheless, his father foresaw his great talent and took him under his wing. That all but lasted only for a year, when his father was killed by a group of renegade thugs. Despite him and his father having a strained relationship, his death was still a heavy blow to the young boy. He was later adopted under his father's best friend, a billionaire by the name of Oliver Queen. From there he trained with the arrow vigilante and increased his skills as an archer. Soon he got his own superhero identity and was worthy of using his father's very own bow. He considered using his father's identity as Brave Bow but instead choose to forge his own identity.

That was the birth of Speedy.

He grits his teeth as another wave of ice blow over him. The harsh blizzard seems to intensify with every step he takes. His labored breaths make it hard for him to move his body. He bleeds from dozens of cuts along his body, leaving a red stain path behind him. Despite being in his early 20s, it feels like his body had aged to his 50s in just the past few hours.

"I come back to the Teen Titans after my adventures with Oliver and Dinah, and this is what I get?" Roy huffs. "Trap in an underground arena in the arctic filled with traps and hazards belonging to a time-traveling organization from another Earth." Roy chuckles but winces as his lungs scream in protest. "I knew I shouldn't have accepted Dick's offer to come back." Another wave of icy wind washes over him. "S-s-s-s-s-should've packed my parka."

A moan caught his attention. He looks over his shoulder to see the face of his adversary, an Asian beauty with long black hair. The mask of a smiling cat rests on her head. Like him she sports several deep cuts that bleed, adding to his bloody trail. Her face is set in a permanent grimace with pained labored breaths. She clung to his back loosely, with his arms looped behind her thighs. Roy had no idea how she survived this long in the freezing environment with so  _little_ clothing. He had given up his trademarked Speedy hoodie to provide her a bit more warmth, leaving him struggling in a simple red sleeveless shirt. It doesn't help that he also has to carry his bow and quiver too.

"It would be so easy just to leave her here. She DID try to kill me after all," Roy mutters. "But that would go against my code."

And it doesn't hurt the fact she is downright hot.

**[KRA-CRACK!]**

"Oh no..." Roy knows what that sound signifies. He looks as giant cracks appear around his feet. "HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Roy screams as they fall over the edge. Roy twists his body so that he took the full impact of the fall. The snow cushioned it but the fall still knocks the air out of his already exhausted lungs. Roy bit his lip from crying out in pain. He gathers himself quickly before he involuntarily tries to rest. The cold is starting to affect him. At this rate, they both will freeze to death. He looks around to see where they've fallen to and almost shouts in joy when he spots a small cave. 

"Luck is finally on your side, Speedy!" Roy says. He gathers his bow, quiver, and his 'partner' and quickly heads inside. His vision blur and turn as he begins losing focus. "Come on! Almost there..." Roy pushes his heavy body into the cave until he reaches the very back. It isn't a deep cave but the shelter it provides is more than adequate. His entire body screams in pain as he lay the Asian beauty gently to the ground.

"Finally..." Roy says. He promptly collapses on top of the buxom breasts of the woman. "So this is how I die... Head stuck between a pair of tits. Not a bad way to go. Hopefully, I won't have to deal with Gar's obnoxious parties in my next life." Roy let out a final breath and passes out.

* * *

**A Few Hours Ago**

"AAAAAAHH...AAAAAAAAAHHHHH....AAAAAACCCCHHHHHHOOOOOO!" Roy sneezes loudly.

"Ew! Do you mind sneezing somewhere else?!" Karen screeches.

“Sorry, _princess_.”

“Don't you be growing an attitude with me, mister!”

“Yes, _mother_! I sometimes wonder how your fiancee even put up with you.”

“EXCUSE ME?! I'll have you know, Malcolm is the best man a woman can ever have, and we never have a problem!”

“Yeah, because you'll probably blast him if he spoke up.”

Karen fumes as she glares at his back. Roy ignores her and looks around. All he can see is an empty snowy field. He looks up to see the sun shining down.

"Are we outside?" Karen asks. She shivers when a small icy gust blows around them.

"I don't know... I find it hard to believe they will let us out in the open like this," Roy says. He spots his trusty bow and quiver a few feet away. "We're separated from the others. Looks like they planned this." He picks up his equipment and inspects them of any damages or possible altercations. His inspection reveals nothing. Satisfied, he slung the quiver to his back and hold the bow in his left hand.

"I wonder..." Roy mutters. He grabs an arrow and shot it into the sky. The arrow didn't reach far before it hit some kind of barrier. "Figures," He scoffs.

"I'll fly low to get a better view of our surroundings," Karen says.

“Good idea.”

"I'll holler if I see anything!" Karen says as her wings activate and she shoots into the air. Roy follows her to the best of his abilities in the snow. The open field is cold but the sun provides some warmth to combat it. Karen had long disappeared past a small snowy hill, so he had no choice but to run in the general direction she went.

"I wonder how everyone else is doing. Are they in this field with us? Or somewhere else?" He asks himself.

"Roy!" he hears Karen call out. She lands smoothly beside him. "I found a run-down facility close by. I saw people there!"

“Are they the others?”

Karen shakes her head. “No, when I got closer, they appear to be the captive metahumans. Some of them look so young...”

Roy nods. "Let's go."

The trek to the facility Karen found didn't take long. It is three stories tall with numerous windows. He can see a few figures stop what they were doing to watch their approach. Roy made sure to keep a lookout for anything suspicious, in case one of the Ravagers may attack. They open the double doors leading into the facility to discover that the place has power and heat. What greets them are groups of poorly dressed children. To their horror, most of the metahumans seem to be no older than fifteen.

“ _Curse you, N.O.W.H.E.R.E! How dare you rob the lives of these children!”_ Roy mentally seethes in rage. 

"A-are you part of the Ravagers?" A little girl asks. She's a skinny thing and looks to be no older than twelve.

"No, sweetie. We're part of the Teen Titans. We're here to take N.O.W.H.E.R.E down," Karen says sweetly. The little girl's eyes lit up in wonder.

"T-then your superheroes!" She says excitedly.

"You bet we are!" Karen says as she pumps her fist. More of the younger children also gather around to meet them.

"Karen, let's find out more about this place," Roy says.

"Oh, right!" She bends down to the girl and flashes her a sweet smile. "Is anyone in charge here of this facility? We would like to get a better grasp of the situation."

"Sure! His name is Joseph. He's on the third floor and he's the oldest out of all of us! I'll take you to him." She leads them deeper into the facility to meet this 'Jericho'. Watching all of this through a pair of x-ray binoculars is a buxom woman clad in tight green clothing, which shows off her ample bust in a generous cleavage. The mask of a smiling cat rests on top of her head. 

"Looks like they entered the building with all those brats," She says.

"Perfect," a sticky sounding voice says. "They couldn't help it, the fools. Seeing those children must've pulled on their heartstrings. I will tear those heartstrings out."

"Then let the hunt begin," The woman says as she places the mask over her face.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

Roy and Karen continue listening to the tall young man that stands before them. The more they listened, the more their anger towards N.O.W.H.E.R.E grows. Joseph, the self-proclaimed leader of the little hideout of young metahumans, has been one of the original ones kidnapped by N.O.W.H.E.R.E to be used by them. Jericho has blonde hair and green eyes that seem to glow. He is dress in the same raggedy clothing as the other children. They learn that this place, known as the Outpost, is where N.O.W.H.E.R.E keeps all of the metahumans they deem 'too weak' to compete in the Culling. Instead, they use the 'weak' metahumans in various experiments.

"There is more to the Culling than N.O.W.H.E.R.E having metahumans fight each other. Some of the children are metahumans, but some are humans that are being enhanced with cybernetic implants. Then they pump their human captives with what they call the Hypertaxis Virus. They plant restraining devices planted on them to damper their powers. I too have one of these devices," Joseph said as he shows the small device that is attached to the back of his neck. The same on that Jon and the other children have.

"W-why would they go so far as to operate on children as young as twelve?!" Karen asks anger radiating off of her.

Joseph shakes his head. "I don't know. Hell, I don't think that most of them truly know what the organization's true endgame is."

"This Hypertaxis Virus... What is it?" Roy asks.

“I'm not a hundred percent sure but I think it has something to do with granting humans powers.”

"Hmm..." Roy hums with a hand on his chin.

"What is it, Roy?" Karen asks.

"I don't know, but there is a lot of mixed stuff we're learning about this place. N.O.W.H.E.R.E was supposedly kidnapping ONLY metahumans but they have been kidnapping regular children as well. Then they use this Hypertaxis Virus on the human children to turn them into metahumans. Why go through the hassle of kidnapping both kinds, and increasing the chances of getting caught?" Roy questions.

"Hmm... You do have a point," Karen says.

“And this Culling. I have a feeling we are only scratching the surface of what is truly going on here.”

"You guys mentioned that the rest of the Teen Titans are participating in the Culling? If that's true, this may be our chance to finally get back at N.O.W.H.E.R.E," Joseph says.

Roy nods. "We wanted to get a good picture of what is going on down here before we act."

“I guess it is a bit of luck you guys landed here. I try my best to keep the children as healthy as I can. Must be the reason why they kept me here, to give the children a leader, and a reason to look forward to tomorrow. However I'm sick of being their pawn," Joseph growls. "I have an idea where your teammates may have landed. Wait here." Joseph promptly exits the room in the back. 

The sound of a door creaking open caught their attention. They look to see the same little girl who led them to Jericho standing at the entrance. She stares at them with a blank look.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Karen asks as she walks forward.

“...” The girl didn't answer.

"Are you okay?" Karen asks with worry.

The door that Joseph had exited through swing open as the blonde runs in. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" He shouts.

"What?" Karen says as she turns to the frantic blonde. The little girl's blank eyes glow purple as she withdrew a knife she had behind her back and plunge it into Karen's leg.

**[STAB!]**

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" she screams.

"KAREN!" Roy shouts as he runs forward.

**[CRASH!]**

Something crashes through the ceiling, and the next thing Roy felt is a sharp pain across his arm. He cries out as the force of the blow sends him crashing into the wall. He looks at his arm to see a long deep cut across it. He moves his eyes to see a surprising well-endowed woman standing over him in tight form-fitting clothes. She wears the mask of a smiling cat.

"My eyes are up here handsome," Her sickly sweet voice says.

"W-who are you?!" Roy demands as he slowly stands up.

"They call me Cheshire. You, Speedy, have become my prey," she says as she points one of her Sais at him. Fresh blood leaks from the blade. His fresh blood. She moves to attack with a stab. Roy rolls out of the way and barely has time to get to his feet before she is upon him again. Her lighting strike slashes and stabs put him on the defense. Karen kicks the little girl away from her. She whimpers as she removes the blade that is embedded in her calf. She looks as the little girl stands up, her emotionless eyes still staring at her. 

"W-what's wrong with her?!" Karen cries out as the girl lunge for her.

"It's Leash! He's the one controlling her! He must be somewhere close by!" Joseph explains. Karen notices a wire made of purple energy attached to the back of the girl's neck.

Roy hiss as he suffers multiple cuts along his body. Cheshire kicks him in his stomach, sending him a few feet back. Then she jumps in their air with her twin Sais above her head to bring them down. Roy raises his bow to catch the blades, then twist his body and kick her a good distance away.

"Karen! Go and find this Leash-" he partly says before Cheshire is upon him again.

"Right!" Karen uses her height and strength to hold the little girl, who growls and claws at her ferociously. "I'm sorry!" She says as she uses her energy blast as weak as she can to send the girl flying into the wall. The little girl collapses to the ground in a weak groan. Karen quickly checks on her, only to sigh in relief to find that the little girl is unconscious. She moves to leave the room but stops at what awaits her. To her horror, more of the brainwashed children file into the room carrying knives, metal pipes, and other blunt objects.

“ _There's too many of them!”_ Karen thought. She glances over her shoulder to see Roy desperately trying to keep Cheshire at bay but at this rate, he will either die from a fatal wound or blood loss. Joseph stands a good distance away, his face conflicted in wanting to help but powerless to do so. Karen notices the hole that Cheshire had made in her attack. Perhaps she can... 

One of the children run forward and swung a metal pipe. Karen dodge it, activates her wings and flies through the hole in the ceiling. She prays she can find this Leash and put a stop to him.

“ _Hold on, Roy! I'll make this quick!”_ Karen promises. 

Cheshire pushes Roy against the wall. He grunts as she uses her weight to trap him. She leans forward until her mask is right against his ear.

"Looks like your friend abandoned you," She whispers with a sultry tone. "She has no chance against Leash."

Roy shivers slightly. "You have zero clues, lady. Karen and I have been teammates for almost a decade. She can get the job done."

Cheshire laughs. "Is that so? I'll keep you alive so you can see her corpse once Leash is done with her." Her remake hit a nerve as Roy muster more strength to change their positions. With one quick flick of his hand, he flips the Cheshire mask off of her face. He did a double-take as he stares at his assailant.

"Ooh! Did I hit a nerve?" She teases. "Are you usually this rough with women?"

“Only with the ones that are trying to kill me!”

Cheshire laughs. "If I wanted you dead, you would've been a dozen times over already."

Roy admits she had a point. "So? Why not just kill me and get it over with?"

“This is a game, handsome. N.O.W.H.E.R.E has cameras everywhere. No doubt they are gathering all the combat data they can from our little battle. Killing you in one blow would've been too boring.”

“You Ravagers seem to have a sick sense of humor.”

Cheshire smiles seductively. "I know." She leans forward and captures his lips with her own. It had the intended effect as Roy releases her in shock. Cheshire took that chance to hop away. She retrieves her mask and put it on.

"Please try to last a bit longer handsome," She says as she ready her twin Sais.

Roy narrows his eyes. He looks around to see he is outnumbered. The children had long gathered around the room, staring at him with those dead eyes. Joseph is surrounded by a group of them, and Roy doubts the older metahuman dares to strike the ones he cares for.

"Don't worry about them, they won't interfere," Cheshire says.

"I'll take your word for it. Not like I have an advantage in close-quarter combat. I prefer my fights to be more in the open."

Cheshire tsks. "Complaining is unbecoming of you. Get ready!"

Roy grits his teeth as she charges towards him.

* * *

“ _Where is that bastard?!”_ Karen thought as she blasts the doors leading out to the snowy field. The psionic wires that were attached to the children led out a good distance away from the Outpost. She takes off as fast as she can. It didn't take long for her to see a figure standing in the open with dozens of psionic wires sprouting from their hands.

"There you are!" Karen says as she dives and launches a series of energy blasts. The figure looks up to reveal a pair of glowing purple eyes and a giant evil smirk. The man then disappears in a burst of purple energy.

"Where did he go?!" Karen growls.

"Surprise!" a voice shouts. Karen raises her arms to block a dropkick that would've hit her point-blank in the head. She flips a few times in the air and lands on the ground. She hisses as her wounded leg protest. She looks up to see Leash has disappeared.

"Were you surprised?" Leash's sardonic voice says.

"Show yourself, coward! Using small children to attack us. You call yourself a man?!" Karen taunts.

Leash let out a harsh laugh. “It's obvious your trying to insult me to make me act irrational. But it won't work on me.”

"Is that so?" Karen says. She looks all around her. She can hear that he is close but there is no sight of the villain.

"What's wrong? Don't know where I am?" Leash mocks.

"Is it obvious?" She says sarcastically. "Is your only ability to run and taunt people? Doesn't seem useful."

Leash remains silent. Looks like Karen may have hit a nerve.

"Weeeeellll," Leash says in a mockingly sweet tone. "If you must know, I can use my psionic wires to transport people or objects to ANY location. I can also use it to brainwash a large number of people, as you can see what I did with the weak brats in the Outpost. Ever wondered how we can kidnap people without leaving any traces?"

“It was your doing.”

“YUP! As you can see, I'm not some pushover. So you better be...”

Karen's ears pick up movement below her. She jumps into the air but is too slow. A pair of hands burst out from where she once stood and grab her ankles. Karen cries out as she slams into the snow. Then Leash appears in a burst of purple energy and sends a kick to her stomach. Karen cries out as she rolls a few times. A pair of boots appear in her field of vision. Leash crouches down to stare at her with a maniac grin.

"Poor Bumblebee, her wings are clipped," Leash says in fake concern. Karen responds by raising her palm and sending an energy blast. Leash teleports away with a booming laugh. Karen groans as she stands up.

“I hope Roy is having a better time than I am...”

* * *

Roy groaned as he collapses on his knees. The amount of cuts he suffered from the hands of Cheshire is too much for him to handle.

"The way your fighting, I almost take you for a masochist," Cheshire says as she stands before him.

"Give me a break, lady. It's not like I have the advantage here," Roy hisses out. God, it feels like he lost almost half of his body's blood. He stands up on shaky legs. A small gust of wind can send him flat on his back for good. Or a pair of sharp blades.

Cheshire lets out a whistle. "Impressive. You're still standing. It was fun, but I think it is time to..." She raises one of her Sais. Roy gulps. So this is how he's going to die. By the hands of a hot, sadistic assassin. He closes his eyes as Cheshire let out a battle cry and throw her Sai. Instead of feeling the familiar sting of pain, he hears the sound of a machine being destroyed. He opens his eyes to see a small drone crackling with electricity close by, with one of Cheshire's Sai embedded in it.

"What?" Roy simply says. He watches as Cheshire moves much faster than she was when fighting him and starts slicing the psionic wires attached to the children. It only lasted a few seconds as all of the children drop to the ground unconscious.

"Phew! That took longer than I expected," Cheshire says as she places her mask on top of her head.

"...What?" Roy says again.

"Rose better pay me the money she owes me," Cheshire continues as she approaches a confused Joseph.

"Did you say... Rose?" the confused blonde asks.

"I sure did. She's the one who came up with this elaborate plan to use the Teen Titans in the Culling to get to you."

"WHAT?!" Roy shouts, still in shock at the turn of events. He should be laying on the ground dead right now!

Cheshire sighs and turns around. "This man is Rose's younger half-brother, Joseph Wilson. We infiltrated the Ravagers to get to him."

"Is my sister truly here? And she's part of the Ravagers?!" Joseph asks. "How could she even join forces with N.O.W.H.E.R.E?"

“Your sister didn't have much of a choice. It was either she joins the Ravagers, or leave you down here for good. Now enough questions, we have to go. I can't get paid if I don't bring you back to her safely.”

"So you and Rose used the Teen Titans in some plan to bust out her younger brother? Is killing me also part of the plan?" Roy asks with a cross of his aching arms.

“I had to make it LOOK like I wanted to. To your credit, you did survive against me in a small room when I was using only half of my strength.”

“Half. Right.”

"Plus I had to get a good look around the room to find N.O.W.H.E.R.E's drone. Like I said before, they use them to gather combat data from the Culling. Of course, they don't stay out in plain sight for us to see. I had to make sure I had a good chance to take it out in one strike." She then turns to Joseph. "Let's go." 

"But... I can't just leave the children..." Joseph says.

"And I can't leave Karen to deal with Leash," Roy adds.

"YOU can go to help your friend, but my priority is Joseph. I won't stop you. So-"

**[STAB!]**

Cheshire gasp when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. A knife is embedded inside her. She looks up in wide eyes to see a smiling Joseph.

"What the hell?!" she hears Roy shout in the background.

"J-Joseph?" Cheshire whispers.

"Looks like Templar was right about there being traitors in The Ravagers," Joseph says, his voice replaced with a silky feminine tone. 'Joseph' twist the knife and pull it out before striking her multiple times with slashes and stabs. She screams in pain as 'Joseph' laughs hysterically. Roy snaps out of his stupor to rush forward and kick 'Joseph' away from Cheshire.

"Now why would you do that?" 'Joseph' asks with his feminine voice.

"It goes against my code to see a woman killed in front of me," he responds as he wraps an arm around a weak Cheshire.

'Joseph' let out a feminine laugh. “Men sure are weird. Hot women can bleed them to death, and they still rush to their defense. Pathetic.”

"You can say whatever you want. Now, are you gonna reveal yourself or not?"

Instead of answering, Joseph disappears in a puff of black smoke. The door ahead of them open to reveal a middle-aged woman with raven hair dress in a black business suit.

"Misbelief... I should've known it was you," Cheshire weakly says.

“Did you like my little trick? I'm not much of a fighter, so I make it up with my illusive abilities.”

"Where's Joseph?" Cheshire asks.

"Secured. Not like you will live long enough to know. I'm sure your partner in crime Rose Wilson is dead by now. Templar hates traitors," Misbelief says with a sadistic laugh. "All of that doesn't matter because this place will be your graves."

"No offense lady but I'm sure we can take you. Half dead and all," Roy says. As if to mock him, the same psionic wires sprang forth and attached themselves to the children. They rise like zombies one by one.

"You were saying?" Misbelief says with a coy smile.

"Aw shit..." Roy mutters. He quickly grabs an arrow, notches it, and fires it at the wall beside him.

**[BOOM!]**

Misbelief cries out in surprise as the arrow explodes to create a large hole. Smoke from the explosion fills the small room. Roy grabs Cheshire and jumps out the hole. The snow cushioned their fall but it still knocks the wind out of them.

"A warning would've been nice," Cheshire wheezes as she stands up.

"Your lucky I didn't have the guts to let you die. Besides, with the current developments, I think its best we have a temporary truce," Roy reasons.

"Hey, I won't be complaining, handsome. I was with Leash just over there. We should find your friend there, hopefully alive," Cheshire says as she points to their left.

"Don't let them escape!" Misbelief shouts above them. The once adversaries didn't waste any time in limping away.

_"Please be okay Karen,"_ Roy thought.

* * *

Karen is NOT okay. Leash has proven himself to be quite the nuisance. He has the habit of teleporting around the area whenever she gets too close. It's obvious he's toying with her, and that pisses her off. Worst, the snow is picking up, worsening visibility.

"That's it!" Karen screams as she began launching her energy blasts in every direction. Leash laughs mockingly as he dodges every single one.

"What's the matter? Finally noticed you don't stand a chance?" Leash says.

Karen huffs and stops her wild shooting. She wraps an arm around her abdomen as she takes deep breaths.

"Done already?" Leash teases as he floats above her.

"You... wish," Karen says.

Leash laughs. "I was hoping this fight would last a bit longer. Oh well. I guess this is the end of our little spat."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," Karen says with a smug grin.

"What are you grinning about-" Leash stops talking when he notices something. He thought Karen was shooting wildly to try and hit him but that was far from the truth. Instead, she had been placing the balls of energy stationery in the air. Leash's eyes widen in horror when he notices over a hundred of these energy balls surround him.

"Finally noticed, have you? While you were teleporting around like an idiot, I was able to track those psionic wires. This means you truly can't teleport anywhere you see fit when you have those wires out. Which means-"

"AAAAHHHH!" Leash screams as he tries to 'teleport'. Karen has a cheeky grin as she can predict his next move.

“-Game over.”

Karen will the balls of energy to home in on Leash. He let out a scream as every single ball of energy blast into him.

**[KA-BOOM!]**

Karen had to shield her eyes from the large explosion. Leash falls to the ground in a smoldering mess. Karen limps over to him to see his body twitching. The psionic wires long dissipate.

"I guess Damian was wrong. You CAN learn a thing or two from Dragon Ball Z," Karen says with a triumphant smirk.

Leash only groan in pain.

"Count yourself lucky us heroes don't kill," Karen growls. The snow continues to build up around her. It looks like a storm may be brewing.

"KAREN!" a voice shouts out to her.

“Roy?”

She looks in the direction of his voice to see two figures limping beyond the snow. She runs forward and is surprised to see Roy is supporting Cheshire with his shoulder.

"Are you all right?!" Karen asks. "What is SHE doing here?!"

“It's a long story. Where's Leash?”

"Over there. I've dealt with him," Karen says with a grin.

"Oh? Not bad, wings," Cheshire speaks up.

"'Wings'?" Karen repeats the nickname.

“Don't mind her. Listen, we have to-”

**[ZAP!]**

Karen screams as she was enveloped in a purple aura and disappears.

"KAREN!" Roy shouts.

"Hahaha... Serves her right..." Leash groans as he sits on his knees.

"What did you do to her?!" Roy demands as he releases Cheshire and stomps over.

Leash grins. "Who knows where I sent her? Hopefully, its a place where she suffers."

Roy grabs the man by his neck and promptly punches him square in the nose.

**[CRACK!]**

Leash screams as he clutches his bloody nose.

"I'm not done with you!" Roy says as he moves to pummel the villain.

"Let him go, handsome!" Cheshire says as she stops Roy.

"Why should I?!" he shouts.

"Because we got more pressing issues..." she motions. Roy turns to see a group of 'Joseph' clones stalking towards them. Each holds a knife in their hands.

"As much as I would like to see you fools suffer before me, I'm afraid I'll have to do things a bit more... remote. I just HATE the cold," Misbelief's voice speaks from all the illusions in unison.

"Never a dull moment," Roy says. He grabs three arrows and fires them in quick succession. Two of the arrows struck the 'Josephs' and the third causes an explosion.

"We should get out of here, handsome," Cheshire says.

“Good call. I don't have any more exploding arrows with me.” The two hold each other support as they run as fast as they could in the raging snow.

“ _Please be alive Karen,”_ He thought.

Misbelief growls when she notice they went beyond the range of her illusive abilities. She sighs as she instead commands her 'Joseph' clones to retrieve Leash.

"No matter. The blizzard will take care of them," She says with a coy smile.

* * *

**The Present**

The first thing Roy hears is the sound of a crackling fire. He awakens with a quiet groan. The second thing he felt is intense pain. It feels as if hundreds of tiny needles have been stab into his body. But there is another feeling. A great warmth that hugs his side.

"Looks like your finally awake handsome," a voice whispers seductively to him.

"W-w-who's there?" Roy groans.

"Ooh, I can't believe you already forgotten me. Even after all the 'things' we have done together." 

"W-what?" Roy says. His vision slowly returns to him. A face appears above him, one of an Asian beauty who stares at him with a seductive smile. His memories came screaming back like a banshee.

“Cheshire.”

“The one and only.”

Roy's eyes flick from her face, then to her naked breasts, and even further.

“...Should I be worried about you showing up at the Titans Tower with a kid in the future?”

Cheshire laughs at him. “Would you like that to become a reality?”

“Not the time, lady.”

Cheshire moves off of him to stand up. She stretches her voluptuous body, giving Roy an eyeful behind her. Oh, he can't wait to tell the other guys. If he gets out of this mess alive that is.

"You sure we can't make time?" Cheshire teases as she looks back at him knowingly.

"What can I say, I'm a guy after all," Roy says as he stands up too.

Cheshire's eyes look down. “Oh, I'm aware.”

The two dress into their now dried costumes. Roy notices that Cheshire had left his eye mask on. Looks like she does have a sense of honor to her after all. By now night has fallen, and the blizzard is long gone.

"How's your body holding up, handsome?" Cheshire asks as she fixes her trademark mask on her head.

"I feel a lot better than I did. Looks like I owe you for saving my life," Roy says as he fixes on his Speedy hoodie.

“Think nothing of it. We both saved each other's life.”

“Right. So, I believe our little truce is still on?”

“You would be correct. Now that N.O.W.H.E.R.E knows of our betrayal no doubt the other members of our little coup will be in trouble. It would be ideal if you and your Titan friends give us a hand.”

"Hey if it means crushing N.O.W.H.E.R.E, I'm all for it. Hopefully, nothing bad happened while we were out of commission."

"Then let us be on our way." Cheshire begins to move, but Roy stops her by holding her hand. She turns around to give him a quizzical look but her eyebrows raise when she saw he removed his eye mask. His green eyes stare into hers.

“Listen, this may be a bit forthcoming of me, but I feel like I can trust you. You know me as Speedy but my real name is Roy Harper. Would you mind telling me your name?”

“My, aren't you full of surprises, handsome. I can't just let you outshine me. My name is Jade Nguyen.”

"Jade..." Roy repeats the name with his tongue. He likes it.

"Now we both know each other a little more," She says with a smile. "Let's get a move on, Roy." As they move to exit the cave, Roy thinks to himself.

He may have just fallen for a deadly assassin that had almost bleed him to death hours ago.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

Damian slowly crawls his way forward. It feels like blood sweep from every pore in his body. His Robin costume is ripped and shredded all over. His mask is gone, revealing his hardened emerald eyes.

"Please be alive, please be alive, please be alive," he repeats in a mantra. A few feet away he can see the still body of one of the most important people in his life. Raven. She lay there on her back, blood pooling around her. When he reaches her, he sits and cradles her head in his shaking hands.

“Please wake up, Raven...”

No response.

“Please...”

No response.

"Don't leave me, Rachel!" Damian almost shouts.

**[COUGH! COUGH!]**

His outburst seems to have gotten through as Raven coughs roughly.

"D-Damian..." She says softly.

"I'm here Raven," he chokes out.

Raven smiles softly. "T-this is the first t-time I've ever seen you so scared..." she places a shaky hand on his cheek, staining it with her blood.

"If only I was stronger, I-" Damian says as tears flood his eyes.

“It's not your fault. I'd rather die than use my father to win our battles. He can never be trusted to return to our world. E-even now, he's screaming at me to let him out.”

Damian let out a curse. The rational side of him knows Raven is right. There is no telling what Trigon will do once he's out again. But the irrational side wants to save the girl he loves.

"B-but..." he begins to say but stops cold when he notices Raven has her eyes closed. "Raven? Raven! RAVEN! RAAAAAAAAAACHEL!" He screams.

**[STEP... STEP... STEP...]**

Loud steps echo behind him.

"Look who's still alive..." a monstrous voice says. A being Damian can only describe as the Grim Reaper incarnate towers over him. The man holds a large scythe sparking with electricity.

“Harvest...” Damian spat the evil man's name out.

The man chuckles. "Don't be so down, boy. You will join her soon."

Damian ignores him as he cradles Raven's body into his arms. He turns to the man and sends a scorching glare. Harvest ignores him and turns to his right. Sitting on what looks to be a throne is a single person. The person is a teenage boy sporting the familiar symbol of the House of El. The boy is leaning on his left side, with his fist resting on his cheek.

"What should we do with him?" Harvest asks.

The boy's eyes glow red as a sadistic smile spread across his face.

“Make sure he suffers a painful death, befitting cattle.”

Harvest grins evilly as he raises his scythe.

“Gladly.”

He swings it down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write. As you all can see, N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s been quite busy with all sorts of experiments and projects. The truth is slowly being reveal, and I can't wait till we get there!
> 
> The abilities of Misbelief and Leash aren't exactly 1-to-1 to their comic book counterparts, but they should be close enough. 
> 
> Hopefully I can get the next chapter out either in the same time frame, or quicker.
> 
> Look forward to the second part of The Culling!


	7. The Culling, Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part of the Culling is here!
> 
> Sorry for the long wait everyone, life once again decided to not give me any free time to write these chapters :/
> 
> Anyways, let's begin!

Richard John "Dick" Grayson considers himself a lucky man. Sure, there was the whole death of his parents in the infamous incident during his youth but their deaths have made him even stronger. Don't get him wrong, it was horrible seeing your parents die right in front of you, and with an audience no less. However, Dick grew to become the First Robin and break the sorrow of his past. His adopted father, Bruce Wayne, had given him a new purpose. Instead of wallowing in self misery, he instead fights against those who wish to cause harm to the everyday person. It was a tough job starting so young, and there were a lot of hiccups along the way.

Dick would still never trade it for anything else.

So many events in his life have happened ever since he became Robin. Fighting alongside Bruce against Joker and the villains of Gotham City, harboring a huge crush on Barbara when she became Batgirl, creating the Teen Titans with his friends and meeting the love of his life Kori, suffering the loss of his brother Jason, relieved that his brother returned, although it wasn't exactly a 'happy' reunion, meeting Tim, a wannabe Robin at the time, and watching him grow to create his hero persona, Red Robin, and he couldn't forget meeting Bruce and Talia's unruly brat of a son, Damian Wayne.

And all that doesn't include the extended Bat-Family that had grown over the past decade and more. They even have a Bat-Cow, for God's sake!

Anyways, Dick always considers himself lucky. He has a large family that would risk their lives for his own, and vice versa.

So why does it feel like he's down on his luck now?

“Whoa!” Dick shouts as he hops over a boulder.

**[BANG!]**

A shotgun blast reduces the boulder into bits. Dick push himself to continue running. He runs around a giant pillar of stone to a cliff. Dick stops to catch his breath as he peers down. Molten lava burble and growl below him.

"Got nowhere to run now do you, punk?" a voice says.

Dick turns around to see a burly man dress in dark blue cargo pants, a thick undershirt with a sleeveless cargo vest, and a custom-made green gas mask with glowing green eyes. Several black tattoos adore the man's rather large arms. The veins in the man's arms bulge as he walks forward with the large double-barrel shotgun in his hands. Something move in the corner of Dick's vision. He mentally smirks as he thought of a plan.

"Time for me/us to get paid!" the man says as he points the barrel of the shotgun at Dick.

“No offense but you've got to be the worst aim of a villain I've EVER fought. Is the selection process of the Ravagers _this_ bad?" Dick taunts to enrage the man. That seems to do the trick as the man roars and moves his finger to the trigger. 

**[BANG!]**

Dick drop backward with his arms raised, narrowly dodging the shell. The man runs forward to look over the edge with his gun drawn.

**[SMACK!]**

A rock crash into his face, causing the man to reel back in pain. A small platform made of rocks levitates upwards. Dick stands there with his arms crossed. Beside him is Terra who sports a giant smirk on her face.

"I got him good, didn't I?" she says.

“A ten-out-of-ten shot,” Dick agrees. She sets them down as the burly man groans on the ground. “Where's Donna?” he asks her.

“We got split up when that Cyborg wannabe showed up.”

“I'm sure she can handle him. Now,” Dick says as he crouches down in front of the burly man. “You mind telling us how to get out of here?”

“We promise not to hurt you... much,” Terra lightly threatens.

The burly man laughs. “If you come closer, I/we will tell you everything you need to know, hotness.”

Terra glares at the man in disgust. “Ew! You look old enough to be my dad!”

“I/we don't mind being that, if your into that kind of thing.”

“Hey!” Dick cuts in. “I don't take kindly to villains hitting on my younger teammates. Talk, or else I'll make you!”

He couldn't see it but he sensed that the man is smirking behind his mask. "Sure Batman-lite, I/we will. Just stay right where you are..." suddenly an arm holding an M16 manifest itself out of the man's chest.

“SHIT!” Dick shouts. Before the barrage of bullets can hit him, Terra uses her Geokinesis to erect a pillar of rock to shield them. The bullets pelt against the rock until they stop.

**[DING! DING!]**

Dick looks to see a grenade roll lazily beside them. He quickly grabs Terra and tries to leap away as fast as he can.

**[BOOM!]**

The explosion sent them flying. They land painfully on the ground.

“W-what was that? I swore I saw an arm with a gun sticking out of that guy's chest!” Terra says as she coughs.

"You weren't seeing things. Looks like there is more to him than we initially thought," Dick says as he stands up. He holds out a hand, which she gladly accepts, and hauls her to her feet. The smoke from the explosion is slowly dissipating. Three large figures step out of the smoke. The one in the middle has a familiar injury to his head. But the other two were completely new. They wear the same tactical gear as well. The one who shot at them with the M16 stands on the left, while the third has dual pistols in his hands.

“Surprise! I/we am/are known as Thrice,” says the three men in unison.

"Your way of talking is vomit-inducing," Terra says.

"I/we love feisty little girls like yourself. It gets me/us all  _ excited _ ,” says the three men as they grin at her.

“Ugh... I'm gonna be sick,” Terra groans.

"Don't let them get to you," Dick cautions. "Besides, you three are no match for us, teleportation powers, and all."

“Oh about I join in?” a feminine voice says. A sword comes slicing through the air and embeds itself in the ground between the opposing teams. Rose drops gracefully beside it, her long white hair flowing behind her. She removes the blade and twirls it in her hand.

“Rose,” Dick growls.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" one of the brothers' demands.

"Those two are my/our prey. Stay out of this!" another one shouts.

“Don't be like that, boys. I have a score to settle with Boy Wonder. You can have the girl,” Rose coolly says. “How about it? Think you can keep up with me?” she addresses Dick as she points her blade at him.

Dick narrows his eyes. “What kind of game are you playing here, Rose?”

“No games, Grayson.”

“Hmm...”

“Go,” Terra says. “You take care of Snow White. I got these three clowns.”

“Are you sure?”

“Don't make me repeat myself, Dick.”

Dick chuckles. “You got it. Don't get yourself killed now,” he says with a smirk.

Terra mirrors it with her own. “Same to you.”

Dick turns to Rose with a frown. “All right, Rose. We'll have it your way.”

Rose smirks. "Good. Let's go!" She draws her other blade and charges forward. Dick scowls and brandishes his Escrima Sticks and leaps away as Rose gives chase.

Terra watches them for a second, then turns her attention to the three men. "Okay, boys. Let's see what you got," she says.

“Oh, I/we got _plenty_ for you,” the brother with the dual pistols says.

“I/we will make sure not to _hurt_ you... much,” the one with the M16 says.

“I/we hope you don't start crying when we get... _rough_ ,” the last brother says.

“ _I'm gonna enjoy ripping you fools to threads...”_ Terra thought with a mental scowl.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

Donna cautiously scouts her surroundings as she flies above. What a strange place. The place she, Dick, and Terra ended up in appears to be inside a large lava cavern. They made sure to look around for their teammates but quickly came to the conclusion they were the only ones there. At least, that was what they thought, until Thrice and his companion, a hulking cyborg-humanoid man by the name of Psykill, attacked them. Thrice chased after Dick, while Psykill decided to go after her and Terra. Psykill had proven himself to be quite powerful, as he pushed the two to their limits. The unbearable heat of the cavern didn't help matters either. She and Terra ended up losing track of each other after Psykill used a barrage of energy beams to separate them.

“I hope she's okay...” she says as she wipes beads of sweat from her face. “By the Gods! This place may be hotter than Hades!”

**[GLINT]**

Something out of the corner of her eye glints, putting her on alert. A large red beam of pure energy shots into the air. Donna yelps and dodge the attack just in time.

**[BOOM!]**

Something breaks through a nearby rock pillar and crashes into her. Donna cries out as she is knocked to the ground. She flips a few times in the air and lands on her feet. She gets into a fighting stance as the hulking cyborg lands in front of her, shaking the ground beneath her feet.

“How long are you planning on running away, girl?” Psykill asks.

“Amazons never run away from battle!” Donna says with determination.

Psykill laughs. “Could've fooled me. Ready to die, girl?”

Donna smirks. She charges forward with incredible speed. Psykill responds by firing an energy beam at her. Donna dodges the blast with a spin jump and swings her leg at the cyborg. The force of the kick catches him off guard, and he is sent flying a good distance from her. Donna goes on the offensive and charges him before he can get his bearings. Psykill looks up to see Donna is already upon him. He has no choice but to put up his guard as the young Amazon batters him. With a loud cry, Donna delivers a powerful kick. Psykill screams as he goes crashing into the wall. Donna breathes deeply as she tries to catch her breath. Despite her years of training on Themyscira, they are nothing compared to what she's experiencing now.

“I'll have to finish this soon,” she huffs. She flies over to see that Psykill is still embedded in the rocky wall.

"Not bad, girl. I'm impressed," Psykill says when Donna lands before him. "However, don't start thinking you have the upper hand."

**[GLINT]**

Donna raises her arms as a beam of energy that was shot at her. The beam reflects off her Bracelets of Submission and back to the source. A small hidden turret is caught in the energy beam and blows up.

"Your first mistake was thinking I didn't know about those hidden turrets you have all over the place," Donna says as she redirects another beam of energy. They hear the sounds of another turret biting the dust.

Psykill laughs. “Not bad! Not bad at all. But how about this?”

**[FLASH!]**

Donna cries out as a bright light blinds her. Then an energy beam blasts her away. She crashes to the ground in a painful groan. She shakes her head to clear the fog in her mind. A pair of black boots enter her blurry vision. She looks up to see a woman dress in a revealing costume, showing off a generous amount of cleavage. Black frizzy hair seems to stand on end as her body radiates a light so intense Donna has to squint.

“Sorry about that,” the woman sarcastically says.

Donna glares at her as she stands up in a fighting stance. “Another Ravager, I assume?”

“That's right. The name's Bright Eyes,” the woman says. Psykill walks up and stands beside her with a wide grin.

“What took you so long?” he asks Bright Eyes.

She shrugs. “I had to prepare myself. The heat is unbearable.”

"I thought you Ravagers had a sense of honor?" Donna says with a grimace. The heat and exertion from battle are starting to have serious effects on her. At this rate, she will either die by their hands or from dehydration.

“There is no honor in the Culling, girl,” Psykill says as he raises his cannon. Donna uses her Bracelets of Submission to block it. Bright Eyes took the moment to rush forward. Blinding light radiates from her as her innate Photokinesis activates. The light blinds Donna, forcing her to close her eyes. Bright Eyes let out a laugh as she delivers a kick to Donna's abdomen, causing the teen Amazon to drop her guard. She jumps to the side as an energy blast from Psykill comes blazing it, striking a defenseless Donna.

“AAAAHHHH!” Donna screams as she is sent flying. She lands painfully on her back a good distance away. With a cry of frustration, she jumps to her feet. Her legs wobble as she scowls at the two leering villains.

“What's wrong, girl? Upset that we ain't playing fair?” Psykill taunts.

His words seem to have brought Donna back to reality. She shakes her head to clear the fog out of her mind.

“ _Focus!”_ her older sister, Diana, shouts in her thoughts. _"When the enemy has the upper hand, they will try to fluster you, so that you can make more mistakes. You must ignore them, and instead focus on how you will defeat them. That unbreakable will to defeat our enemies makes us Amazons!"_

“Focus...” Donna repeats. She closes her eyes and inhales.

“Looks like she's giving up,” Bright Eyes says.

"It seems the Amazons aren't as strong as we thought," Psykill says with a laugh.

“ _Don't always rely on your eyes! A true Amazon, even one who cannot use her eyes, is still as deadly!”_ Diana shouts. _"If you can't use your eyes, focus on your other senses! 'Taste' the air around you, smell the scents in the air, listen to the sounds of your surrounding area, and feel the dust against your skin! But don't forget our Amazonian sixth sense. The sense to predict your enemy, adapt to their strengths, and overcoming those strengths!"_

“Predict, adapt, overcome,” Donna whispers. It all came flooding back to her. The countless training and sparring sessions on Paradise Island, training with her sisters and fellow Amazons. “Don't let the enemy get to you. Don't rely on sights alone. Predict the enemy, adapt to the enemy, overcome the enemy.”

“I think she's finally lost it,” Bright Eye says.

“Let's put her out of her misery then,” Psykill says as he raises his arm cannon. The cannon powers up to its strongest output. “Goodbye, Wonder Girl!”

Donna's eyes snap open and with newfound concentration rushes forward. The speed of her charge caught the two Ravagers off guard and both were dealt with powerful blows that sent them flying. She towers over them with a determined glare.

"As I said, an Amazon never runs from battle!"

Psykill lets out a laugh as he stands up. “That's the spirit! Now put more energy into it!” he shouts as he charges forward. Donna grits her teeth as the battle continues.

* * *

**[CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!]**

The sounds of swords hitting a blunt object rings out in the air. Dick dodges the sharp blades of Rose as she attacks him with pinpoint precision. Her attacks are relentless and if he isn't careful, he might lose his head. But for some reason, she seems to be holding back, making rookie mistakes, and creating large openings in her form.

“What's wrong, Grayson? Can't keep up?” she taunts. She brings down her twin swords. Dick counters by raising his Escrima Sticks to defend himself. They enter a deadlock as their eyes meet.

"I don't think hurting the lover of my brother will go well," Dick responds. "Jason's already suffered a lot."

The smug expression on her face softens for a fraction until she laughs. "That's sweet of you, but you should worry... about yourself!" Rose ends the deadlock by pushing Dick back with a sudden push. Dick steps back and bends his knees in limbo to dodge a swing that cuts a few strands from his hair. Dick uses this moment to drop on his back and sweep his legs to trip Rose. She let out a surprised gasp as she falls on her side. She bangs her head on the rocky cavern floor with a cry of pain. Before she can get her bearings, Dick kicks her swords away from her.

"Tell me everything, Rose!" Dick shouts as he points his Escrima Sticks at her. Instead of answering, she quickly spins her body and trips Dick with her right foot. Dick drops on his side with a grunt, giving Rose plenty of time to perform a series of backflips. She grabs her twin swords in her acrobatic motion and lands on her feet with a smile.

“You have a habit of underestimating your opponents, Grayson.”

“Funny, I should be saying the same thing,” Dick says as he gets up. “The Rose I've fought in the past would be more ferocious than you are. There is more to this whole thing, isn't there?”

“Hmm...” Rose stares at him with an analytic gaze. “If you want to know, you'll have to beat me.”

“Is that so?” Dick says as he gets into a fighting stance. “Fine, we'll have it your way.”

Rose smiles and with a cry charges forward.

* * *

Terra raises a pillar of rock in front of her to stop a barrage of bullets. One of the brothers tries to flank her but she stops him in his tracks with a pinpoint launch of a large rock.

**[SMACK!]**

The brother howls in pain as the rock hits him in his face. Blood and teeth fly into the air as the brother falls on his back. Terra smirks in satisfaction at the pain she inflicted.

"You bitch!" A voice shouts to her left. Terra raises another pillar to block a shotgun slug from hitting her. She then uses her Geokinesis to shift the ground beneath her feet to 'slide' as if she's on ice. She launches a giant rock at the brother but he disappears in a flash of blue energy. Her senses flare and she raises a pillar to protect herself from another barrage of bullets.

“Damn bitch! Stay still! I/we don't want to hurt that pretty little face!” one of the brothers shouts.

"There's your mistake," says Terra as she slides out of her cover. She launches two large rocks at the brothers. They disappear in a flash of blue energy. The brothers had used the body of their fallen sibling to escape but that's where Terra wants them. When the brothers teleport out of their brother, they realized too late. Several columns of rocks surround them. Their eyes widen as Terra raises her hands in the air.

“W-wait!-”

**[CRUNCH!]**

Terra slams the rock columns together, squishing the brothers. She moves them back to see the broken bodies of the three brothers. Terra 'slides' over and places a hand on her hip with a smug grin.

“You three were way out of your leagues,” she mocks. A quiet whimper escapes from one of them. “Be glad I don't kill my enemies anymore, or else you will be nothing but stains right now.” Terra uses her Geokinesis to raise them on a rock platform into the air. She whistles as she carries them with her.

“I wonder if Dick's done fighting Snow White?”

* * *

Rose falls on her back with a tired grunt, her swords sliding out of her hands. Dick stands above her, sporting dozen of bruises and cuts all over his body. He breaths deeply as beads of sweat drip down his face.

“Ready to give up yet?” Dick growls. The heat of the cavern is starting to take a toll on him, and Rose isn't making things easy either.

Rose sighs. “I suppose you won this one?”

“Bullshit! You didn't take this fight seriously. Why?”

Rose shrugs. "Maybe I'm feeling a little... hot under the collar?" Rose says as her eyes turn to something behind him. She slowly reaches for her sword, her fingers brushing against the hilt. Dick drops to the ground as soon as Rose grabs the sword and with incredible precision, throws it into the air like a spear.

**[STAB!]**

The sword embeds itself in a tiny drone that was a good distance in the air. The machine fizzles and crackles as it falls to the ground.

"Finally," Rose huffs as she stands up. She reaches out her hand and helps Dick get back on his feet.

“You weren't kidding about the drones.”

Rose nods. "N.O.W.H.E.R.E. uses them to get combat data from the Cullings." She walks over and withdrew her sword from the drone. "If everything goes according to plan, then the other members of my group should be fighting your friends. Cheshire would have made contact with Joseph by now and should be on her way to the rendezvous point with him. Hopefully, the others can convince your Teen Titan friends about the plan."

“I'm confident they'll figure it out.”

Rose sighs. “I hope so. Let's go help your blonde teammate with Thrice. They may not look it, but they are respected metahuman hunters.”

“I wouldn't worry about her, Terra can handle herself.”

"What do we have here?" a voice says out loud. They look to see Terra 'sliding' along the ground with the rock platform with the bodies of Thrice levitating beside her.

“See? Told you she can handle it,” says Dick with a smirk.

Rose smirks. “I guess I underestimated her skills.”

The former adversaries quickly give a summary of the current events to the blonde.

Terra whistles. “I'm impressed, Snow White. I can see why Jason has the hots for you.”

Rose rolls her eyes. “Does everyone know about us?”

“He has this faraway look in his eyes whenever I mention you around him,” Dick says.

“And we all noticed he isn't his moody emo self as of late,” Terra adds. “So, we assume its thanks to you?”

Rose holds up her hands. “Okay, that's enough. Aren't you two forgetting about someone?”

“Oh shit, Donna!” Terra curses.

“Let's go!” Dick says.

* * *

The first thing Bright Eyes tries to do is breathe. She desperately pounds away at the heavy rubble that had fallen over her. She tries to harness her Photokinesis to project an energy blast, but the lack of oxygen is already causing her to lose consciousness.

“ _I-I don't want to die! Someone please...”_ she pleads mentally. Her eyes glaze over as she starts to drift further away. Her frantic pounding against the heavy rubble fades into soft taps. _“J-James...”_

As if hearing her, the rubble of rocks suddenly lifts in the air by themselves. Bright Eyes took a heave of hot air, causing her to cough violently.

"SIENNA!" a voice shouts out to her. She feels the hands of someone picking her up.

“R-Rose?” Bright Eyes, now identified as Sienna, croaks. Her vision slowly returns to her. She sees the slightly worried face of Rose.

“I told you guys I sensed her,” Terra said as she deposits the rubble away from them.

“Good call Terra,” Dick says as he helps Rose set Sienna on her feet.

“You guys are... part of the Teen Titans...” Sienna wheezes.

Dick nods. “Rose had put us up to speed with what you guys are planning to do. It's a good thing Terra heard you under the rumble.”

“One of the useful benefits of Geokinesis,” Terra boasts.

“What happened, Sienna?” Rose asks. Memories came flooding back to earlier events.

"I remembered fighting against Wonder Girl with Psykill. I had to play along, hoping to have a moment to take Psykill out. However, during the battle, Leash and Misbelief appear near us. Misbelief said they were right about there being traitors and the next thing I know Psykill blasts me point-blank into the wall. I was buried under the rubble," Sienna explains.

“Shit! So they knew about our plans from the start?” Rose hisses.

Sienna weakly nods. “Misbelief said they had moved your brother to a more secure location. I'm sorry, Rose.”

“Don't worry, it's not your fault. I should've known they would've been suspicious of us.”

“Judging by your story, they must've taken Donna,” Dick says.

“And not conscious either, that's for sure. That girl can get ferocious in the heat of battle sometimes,” Terra says.

Sienna weakly chuckles. “I can believe that.”

“This is bad,” Rose says. “If N.O.W.H.E.R.E. knows about our plan, and everyone involved, then the others are in danger!”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!” Terra shouts.

Rose nods. "Leash can teleport anywhere in the base. No doubt they are already with the others. We'll have to move, now! Sienna, can you move on your own?"

“I'll try...” Sienna says. She tries to stand by herself but her legs scream in protest. She would've collapsed if not Dick caught her.

“Dammit!” she says. “I-I feel so weak.”

"Don't worry about it. Terra!" Dick says

“All ready one step ahead of you,” Terra says. She uses her Geokinesis to lift a small rock platform with Sienna on it. “I was born to do this.”

"Good thinking," Rose says. "Let's not waste any more time."

The group follows Rose as she runs off. Sienna glances over to the other platform levitating to see the Thrice brothers on it.

“Jesus, what happened to them?” Sienna asks.

“Let's say I didn't take kindly to their perverted flirting,” Terra says.

Sienna smirks. “You know, I think we're gonna get along just fine.”

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**[DRIP... DRIP... DRIP...]**

Conner wipes the trail of blood dripping from an open wound on his forehead. “Is it me, or are we losing?”

"It's just you," Damian groans beside him. A figure in the darkness comes charging at him.

"Not so fast!" Conner shouts as he jumps in front of Damian, He blocks the blow from their opponent, but the strength overwhelms him. The two teens were sent flying into a caged wall. The winds were knocked out of their lungs as they drop to their knees.

“T-thanks for the save,” Damian says with a grimace.

Conner gives him a thumbs up but hisses when his hand aches in pain. “I-I hate to say it, but I think we bit off more than we could chew.”

“That's an understatement of the century...”

**[STEP! STEP!]**

They look up to see their opponent ominously stomping towards them from out the shadows. The figure is revealed to be a teenage girl with a dark skin tone and a pom-pom hairstyle. Her brown eyes glare at them as she stands there.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes! The Power Girl Revival Program is a complete success!” Templar's laughter booms all around them. “The combat data will be worth millions!”

“Laugh it up, you bastard...” Damian growls.

“Power Girl, commence with the next phase of the operation. Don't kill them, but feel free to make them suffer!”

Power Girl's eyes glow as she begins to grow in size. Conner and Damian stare as the once small petite girl now tower above them like a giant. She raises her right foot high into the air.

“You've got to be kidding me!” Conner shouts as he and Damian jump out of the way of being crushed. The two regroup a good distance from the giant Power Girl.

“It feels like if I get knocked down again, I won't be getting up,” Conner huffs.

“Then we'll finish this quickly,” Damian says.

“Got any plans?”

“Just one but we'll need to move fast.”

“Then let's do it!”

The two ready themselves as Power Girl stomps closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like giving each Ravager at least one unique thing about them, even though they may be throwaway characters to move the plot along.
> 
> I find writing action scenes can be difficult at times, but I hope the action wasn't too boring in this chapter. So Rose and her band of traitors have teamed up with the Teen Titans! Will their combine might bring N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to justice?
> 
> So yeah, the Power Girl of this universe is Tanya Spears. How did she get into the clutches of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.? We will know very soon!


	8. The Culling, Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will conclude The Culling, as well as something I've dubbed the "N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Arc". Next chapter I'll introduce a new format I will be using moving forward. I'm sure you all noticed I also added the next chapter as well. I've been working and writing a lot since I last uploaded!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

Garfield "Gar" Logan was only eleven years old when he got his powers. He was born to Mark and Marie Logan, who were renowned doctors in the field. During a jungle expedition in the African region of Lamumba, Garfield contracted a rare virus called Sakutia. The virus attaches itself to a victim's DNA, enabling the host to instinctively rewrite their genetic code. Sakutia victims suffer from one other noticeable side effect – their hair and skin turn permanently green in hue. The Logans, with the help of a fellow biogeneticist Samuel Register, were able to save Garfield by developing a serum that mutated his infected genes. The virus was no longer lethal, save for the green skin and hair. They soon discovered that Garfield can shape-shift into any species of terrestrial animals. Samuel was intrigued by the new development, believing that the Logans had inadvertently discovered the biogenetic missing link between animals and man. Despite his physical changes and metahuman powers, the Logans accepted their new son without hesitation, and the family continues to live their lives.

However, their happiness didn't last long.

A flash flood.

A freak accident of nature had taken his parents from him.

In that brief moment of loss, Garfield was an empty shell, going through his day to day life in a state of shock. No doubt he would've done something drastic if not for the timely arrival of two individuals he will grow to love. Steven Dayton and Rita Farr had taken the grieving Garfield in as their child. The two are members of Doom Patrol, a team formed by Niles Caulder, to help metahumans whose powers posed a danger to themselves and others. It was from there Garfield learns to control his shape-shifting powers. Once he was ready, they let Garfield joined the newly formed Teen Titans, where he will become a founding member. With his new friends and a sense of justice, Garfield helps them battle against the growing threat of supervillains.

And he does it all with a smile.

“WOOHOO!” Garfield screams as he flies around in his eagle form.

"Stay still, you damn brat!" a voice shouts behind him. He looks behind him to see a young man in a metallic suit. Silver sharped feathers spread from his suit as he chases after Garfield.

“Catch me if you can, slowpoke!” Garfield says as he bobs and weaves through the endless amount of corridors in the maze.

“Nobody calls me slow!” the young man growls as he increases his speed. “I'll show you why they call me Windshear!”

The race between the metahumans rages on. Garfield continues to lead the chase and increasing the distance between them every turn in the maze. Windshear hates to admit it, but the brat is proving to be the better flier. That thought pushes him to fly faster. He rounds another corner for the umpteenth time and lets out a surprised shout. Garfield had transformed into his Tyrannosaurs Rex form and is waiting for Windshear. With a roar, he disorients Windshear and headbutts him.

**[BAM!]**

The blow knocks Windshear out of the air, and he lands painfully on the cold metal floor. Beast Boy transforms back into his human form. He stands over Windshear with a big tooth-bearing grin.

“I'd give up if I were you. No way you can take the Beast Meister on!”

Windshear chuckles. “I have to admit, I underestimated you. But there's one thing you should know about us Ravagers.”

“What?”

“We don't play fair.”

**[FLASH!]**

“AAAAARRGGGGGHHHHH!” Garfield screams as an intense ray of light blinds him. Windshear stands up with his wings stretch as they emit blinding white light.

"My wings aren't just for flying around. I can use them like this to blind my foes," Windshear explains. He smirks as he raises his fist and punches Garfield sending the shape-shifting teen into the air. He then shoots up and smacks him into the ground.

“You had your fun. Now, it's my turn!”

* * *

Jaime growls in frustration. The Ravager he is currently fighting against is proving to be a bigger threat than he initially thought. His opponent is a young woman who goes by Crush. Her metahuman powers are similar to that of Plastic Man. She can stretch her limbs, change her body into various shapes, and enlarge any part of her body.

"Time to end thisssssss!" says Crush in a snake-like tone. She stretches her legs to tower over him. She raises her fists and enlarges them as big as she can in the tiny hallway. "Take thissssssss!" she shouts as she brings them down to flatten Jaime. His suit activates its shield function and he uses it to protect himself.

**[BOOM!]**

A miniature shock wave rocks the area. Crush smirks to herself at the sound.

“Lookssssssssss like I ssssssssssquashed the bug-” she begins to brag but is cut short when her fist started moving. “W-what?!”

"It's gonna take more than that to kill me!" Jaime shouts. In a sudden burst of strength, he pushes Crush back, causing her to lose her balance. He then launches off the ground and blasts Crush point-blank in the face.

“GUH!” Crush falls to the floor with a loud thud. Jaime hovers over her face to see she lost consciousness.

“Well that wasn't so bad,” Jaime says. The Scarab chirps on his back. “Huh? I could've taken her out sooner?”

“CHIRP! CHIRP!”

“WHAT?! Why would I be scared of Traci?!”

“CHIRP! CHIRP!”

“Huh?! No way was I delaying the fight so I don't have to be near her!”

“CHIRRRRPPP!”

“...I won't acknowledge that outburst with a response...”

Jaime ignores the constant chirping Scarab sends at him. The maze of corridors he and his teammates have arrived in was something they didn't expect. The walls, floor, and ceiling show no imperfections on them as if N.O.W.H.E.R.E took its time to scrub and clean them. It's downright creepy. The group consists of Garfield, Kori, Raven, Traci, and himself. The moment they were dropped into the maze, they were under attack. The Ravagers went on the offense, forcing the Teen Titans to split. Warblade was among the group that attacked him. He proved himself to be the most dangerous of all, with his combined agility and power.

“I just hope everyone's okay...” Jaime says to himself as he navigates the maze of corridors.

“CHIRP! CHIRP!”

“Yeah, I sense it too. Something is following us. Let's go a bit faster.”

The rockets from his suit increase their propulsion and send him forward. The object that is tracking them also speeds up. Jaime takes a sharp turn at the corner and waits. The object follows him but is promptly meant with an electric charge. Sparks and crackle surround the object as it falls to the floor. Jaime gently lands beside the object to see that its some sort of drone.

“CHIRP! CHIRP!”

“It's a drone alright. N.O.W.H.E.R.E must be using them to spy on us. Come on, let's go find the others!”

* * *

It's taking all of Kori's focus to combat the onslaught of attacks Warblade is dishing out. His speed and attack power far surpasses hers, and the longer their battle lasts, the more mistakes she makes. Kori tries to fly away to take a breather but Warblade quickly jumps in the air and kicks her back to the floor. Kori crashes to the floor in a pained cry.

“ _I-Its no use... He's too fast. I can't escape at a good distance from him,”_ she thought. Kori may be an exceptional fighter when it comes to close-quarter combat but her specialty lies in long-range battles. No doubt Warblade knows this and ensures that she doesn't get too far from him. 

"You know, I was hoping to get another round with the super brat," Warblade says. His helmet splits itself apart and rests on the side of his face. The face that greeted her is of a young man with dark blue eyes and short black hair.

“L-Leave Conner alone...” Kori says.

Warblade chuckles. "How sweet, you're like a den mother for the brat. I can tell the younger members hold you in high regard."

“...”

“Hey, don't be going silent on me now.”

“What do you want?”

Instead of answering, Warblade approaches her slowly. He kneels and grabs her chin. Kori glares at him and turns her head in defiance. He simply turns her head back forcefully.

“You know, I have a thing for redheads,” he says with a smug smirk. “How about you ditch Nightwing and come with me?”

Kori growls and moves to headbutt him, but Warblade simply speeds out of her reach.

“I'd rather die than join you and N.O.W.H.E.R.E!” she spats.

Warblade shrugs. "Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying. It doesn't matter if you want to or not, because, in the end, only the strongest survive."

Suddenly his senses flare up and he moves to dodge an energy blast shot at him.

“KORI!” Jaime shouts as he lands beside her.

“J-Jaime?”

“Looks like I made it in the nick of time!” he says. “Time for round two, Warblade!”

“I like your spirit!” Warblade says as his helmet covers his face again. “Let's begin!”

"No, Jaime! You can't-" Kori begins to say but is cut off when Jaime rushes forward. Jaime fires off a shot of blue energy from his cannon. Warblade easily dodges it and disappears.

“What the-?!” Jaime shouts. Scarab chirps wildly at him to get his attention. Warblade appears to his right with his leg wind back. Jaime activates his shield and uses it to block the attack. The strength of the kick sends him skidding along the floor.

Warblade whistles. “Not bad. Show me more!” he shouts as he speeds forward.

“UGH! He's stronger than I thought!”

“CHIRP!”

Jaime instinctively raises his shield to block a devastating right hook. This time spikes shoot out beneath his feet to dig himself into the ground. With a roar, he pushes Warblade back, transforms his left hand into a cannon, and blasts him point-blank. Warblade cries out as he is sent crashing into the flawless silver wall, denting it.

“Now that's how you do it!” Jaime boasts.

"J-Jaime..." Kori gasps. It seems as if Jaime is slowly but surely growing his skills with the help of the Scarab suit. To think he can put up a fight with Warblade. Kori couldn't help but feel proud. When she took over the leadership of the Teen Titans, she was so unsure of herself. It was even worst when the incident regarding the Justice League and Trigon was happening. However thanks to the encouragement of Dick, Superman, and her teammates, they gave her the strength to guide the team. Over the years the Teen Titans have not only grown in number but as a family. A REAL family that is willing to stand by each other, till the very end.

Pride swells up in her as Kori got to her feet. There is no time for her to relax while her younger teammate is doing all the work.

“I will do right by them. Forever and always,” Kori whispers. With that, she rushes forward to assist Jaime.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd rather be cleaning the Gabrielle's Horn than dealing with this!" Traci shouts as she continues running. However, her run was interrupted when some force lifts her into the air. Traci screams when she almost collided with the ceiling.

"Finally caught you, little mouse!" a masculine voice shouts. A tall young man with blonde hair and black eyes smirks at her from the floor. "No one can escape when my wind catches hold of them!"

“Let me go, you freak!” Traci screams.

The man smirks. “Gladly.”

The next thing she knows, Traci is falling.

“WAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Traci screams.

“ _ **Azarath Metrion Zinthos!”**_

A large platform made of pure dark energy cushions Traci's fall. The platform is surprisingly soft and bouncy.

“That was a close call,” Raven says as she approaches Traci.

“Raven!” Traci cries out happily.

“You think you can disrespect Windstorm like that?!” the man screams below them. “You'll pay for this!” Windstorm then raise his arms to release a torrent of strong wind.

"Child's play," Raven says as she easily dodges everything Windstorm sends at her. His anger grows each time he misses.

“W-What's this guy's problem?!” Traci shouts.

"He has some issues," Raven replies. She didn't have to use her powers to feel the anger radiating off Windstorm. Raven chants another spell and sends an orb of dark energy to Windstorm. The attack hit him head-on.

“You got him!” Traci cheers.

“No... Something doesn't feel right,” Raven says. Suddenly something strikes her head from behind.

"AAAAHH!" Raven screams in pain as she is knocked out of the air. The platform Traci is sitting on dissipates. The two crash to the ground painfully. Traci groans as she shakes her head. She looks to her side to see Raven clutching her head.

“R-Raven!” Traci gasps. She crawls over to inspect her, and gasp when she sees blood dripping from a wound behind her neck.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Windstorm laughs manically. “That's what you get for underestimating me!”

Traci looks up to see the blonde man smirking at them in the air.

“Are you surprised? Not only can I use my powers to control the air, but I can do this!” Windstorm appears right beside her in the blink of an eye.

“What-?!”

**[BAM]**

Windstorm casually kicks her to the side. He smirks at her pained cry.

"I can use the air around me to push my body at lightning-fast speeds. And, I can create 'Air Clones' as well in the spot I was. You'd be surprised how useful having the power to control the air is," he monologues casually. Traci coughs as she clutches her side.

"Now to finish things," he says as he walks over to Raven. He raises his arms and points them at her. He uses his powers to lift her in the air. He then starts to slowly close his hands. Raven gasps and reaches for her throat with her hands.

“Raven!” Traci shouts when she noticed what he's trying to do. _“That sick bastard! He's trying to suffocate her!”_

She runs forward but before she can even push Windstorm, she is blown back by strong air pressure.

“Oh be patient, won't you? You'll be next,” says Windstorm as he sneers at her. Traci's brain is working overtime as she tries to think of a plan to help Raven.

“ _What should I do?! I can't even use my Urban Magic! Dammit!”_ Traci thought desperately. She can see Raven's struggles slowing down.

“ _ **RELEASE ME, RAVEN!”**_ the familiar dark voice of her father booms in her mind. 

“ _N-No...”_

“ _ **YOU IMPUDENT WEAKLING! YOU DARE DEFY ME?! RELEASE ME, SO THAT I CAN CRUSH OUR ENEMIES!”**_

“ _I...I... won't...”_

“ _ **YOU FOOL! YOU WANT TO DIE DOWN HERE, WITHOUT THAT MISERABLE PUP OF YOURS?!”**_

Memories of her time spent with Damian flashes before her.

“ _D-D-Damian... I'm sorry...”_

Raven lets out one final breathless gasp and grows still.

“RAVEN!” Traci screams as tears trail down her face.

"Tch, and here I thought she would've had a trick up her sleeve. I guess not-" Windstorm's eyes widen as the air around his surroundings shifts. He releases Raven and uses his powers to 'teleport' away. A few seconds later a giant dark claw crashes at the spot he once occupied. A dark and sinister aura surrounds Raven as she floats there. The hood of her cloak hides her face as the area around her seem to wrap and twist.

“R-Raven?” Traci whispers. Something is wrong, really wrong. What is this sense of dread that she's feeling?

“ _ **Raven isn't here anymore...”**_ says a dark voice.

Traci's face blanches. “Trigon.” She remembered the destruction Trigon caused when he was released from his prison four years ago.

“What the hell is happening?” Windstorm says.

“ _ **What's about to happen...”**_ 'Raven' says as she floats forward, the area twisting under her dark magic. _**“Is your demise!”**_

"Y-You think you can beat me? I had you on the ropes! Your little black magic doesn't scare me!" Windstorm shouts but the cold sweat that drips on his face says otherwise. 'Raven's' hood blows back, revealing four glowing red eyes and a wicked grin with sharp teeth. That is when Windstorm realizes that is not Raven anymore. 'Raven' raises her arms to let loose dozens of sharp claws made of darkness. Windstorm 'teleports' away, only to see that the claws had changed their direction and follow him. In his desperation, he creates an Air Clone to distract the claws and 'teleports' away gain.

_**"Hmm. Your powers are simple but surprisingly effective. How long can you keep this up?"** _ 'Raven' says. She increases the pressure on Windstorm by conjuring more dark claws that strike in every direction. The claws crash and scratch on the surrounding walls, floor, and ceiling. 

“Shit! This bitch is crazy!” Windstorm yells.

Traci had to run a good distance away from the carnage that is unfolding.

“This is bad! If Raven doesn't get Trigon under control, there is no telling what he'll do!” she panics. “If only I can use my Urban Magic! I'm entirely powerless here!”

The battle rages on between them until Windstorm made a fatal mistake. With one precise strike, a claw of dark energy catches Windstorm and slice his entire left arm into ribbons.

**[SLICE!]**

Traci cringes and looks away as Windstorm lets out a blood-curdling scream. Blood splats on the floor as Windstorm crashes into it. His body twitches and convulses as he clutches the small stump where his arm used to be.

“ _ **That was a satisfying sound...”**_ 'Raven' chuckles darkly. 

“You c-c-c-c-crazy bitch!” Windstorm stutters. “You'll pay for this!”

“ _ **Oh? I highly doubt any fool can pose a threat to me here!”**_ 'Raven' snarls. A tiny claw shot out from her floating robe to catch something near the ceiling. The claw returns clutching a small drone.

“Is that a... drone?” Traci whispers to herself.

_**"Well, well, well. You thought I didn't notice you earlier, did you? Are you enjoying the show?"** _ 'Raven' questions with a snarl.  _**“This is the fate that awaits those who dare try and challenge the might of Trigon!”** _

**[STEP... STEP... STEP...]**

With every intimidating step 'Raven' takes towards Windstorm, the blonde man's panic increases. He desperately tries to crawl away, but the pain of losing his arm still rings through his body. A bloody trail from his severe wound paints the floor behind him. Cold sweat pours down Traci's face. As much as she hates N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and anyone associating with them for their heinous crimes, she wouldn't wish being tortured by Trigon on her worst enemies. She wants to help but is powerless to do anything. No doubt Trigon will start to tear this place apart once he's done tormenting Windstorm. By starting with her as the next victim.

“ _If only I can get in contact with the other Teen Titans. I'm sure they would be able to bring Raven back to her senses.”_

“ _ **Look at you struggling. Pathetic. Where was all that bravado you displayed earlier?”**_ 'Raven' says as she stands over a petrified Windstorm.

“S-Stay away from me!” Windstorm screams.

Instead of answering, 'Raven' raises her claws, intending to tear Windstorm apart. Surely, a cruel fate for one who dares challenge Trigon. To get the message across, 'Raven' made sure the small drone is watching every second. No doubt the watchers on the other end are freaking out. Traci had to look away as the claws move downwards. Instead of hearing the sounds of ripping flesh and bones, a familiar voice cries out in pain. Traci looks back and gasps. A green aura surrounds 'Raven's' head, causing her to hold it in pain. A figure in dark green robes with their hoodies and a face mask hiding their features walks forward. The figure's eyes glow with energy behind their hood.

“ _ **AAAAaaaaRRRRgggHHuuhhhGGGGHHHH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”**_ 'Raven' screams. _**“YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO-”**_ 'Raven' stops her struggling and passes out. The dark energy radiating from her subsides. Her red demon-like skin return to their pale tone and the four demonic eyes disappears. The captured drone fell and breaks upon contact with the floor. Traci slowly stands up as the mysterious figure walks forward. She looks to see that Windstorm had passed out on the floor. 

“W-who are you?” asks Traci as she waits nervously. Before she could react, the figure raises their arms and shot an orb of green energy. The attack hit her but instead of feeling pain, a soothing feeling washes over her. Traci peacefully slumps to the floor. Right before she passes off into slumber, a quiet feminine voice sounds in her head.

“ _I'm sorry...”_

* * *

Beads of sweat roll down Windshear's face as he stands on shaky legs. Facing off against him is Garfield, this time in his kangaroo form.

“...Your not half bad kid,” Windshear huffs.

“...Your not so bad yourself. You know, this is the first time I've transformed so many times in a fight,” Garfield says. The shape-shifting teen is trembling all over with numerous bruises on his person.

"Looks like this will be the final round, kid. Are you ready?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not. Looks like the Beast Meister... is signing off..." Garfield changes back to his humanoid form and promptly falls face-first to the floor. "So hungry... We didn't even eat breakfast..." he mumbles, then passes out. Windshear's eyes widen in shock.

"So he was using his last amount of strength to just stand? Ha! I'm impressed. He may be a happy go lucky kid but he has the skills. No doubt he would've won if he was just a bit more experienced." Windshear walks over, grab Garfield, and slung him over his shoulder. "He sure gave me a lot of trouble. I wonder if the others are done too?" He looks around his surroundings. "That's odd. Usually, there is a drone nearby. No matter."

He spreads his left-wing and takes off into the air. He knows the maze-like the back of his hand, and it didn't take long for him to meet the others.

“Reno!” Windshear calls out to Warblade.

“Ah, James. Took you long enough,” Reno says.

“I'd hate to admit it, but the kid had proven himself to be a formidable opponent,” James says as he lands on the ground. He gasps when he sees the bruises on Reno.

Reno nods. “These guys surprised me too. Their weak, but they overcome that weakness with willpower. Even I was impressed.”

“Letsssssss kill them now!” Crush hisses. “I want to sssssssquash the bug!” she stalks forward to an unconscious Jaime.

“No, not yet. Not until we hear the final announcement of the Culling being over,” Reno says as he steps in her way. Crush hisses but didn't put up a fight. James takes this time to dump Beast Boy beside Kori and Jaime.

“If I'm remembering correctly, there should be two more in this area,” James says.

“Raven and that other girl. Windshear went after them. Knowing that idiot, he got himself in trouble.”

“Should I go look for him?”

“ _There's no need,”_ a feminine voice speaks in their minds. The voice caught them off guard as the mysterious woman in the green robes steps forward with several figures floating behind her.

“Omen? You were in this area, too?” Reno questions.

“ _Yes,”_ Omen answers simply. Reno narrows his eyes at her simple answer. Out of all the members of the Ravagers, Omen is possibly the most mysterious of them all. Little is known about her other than her gender. She hardly displays her powers to anyone, only on a few occasions. Reno sometimes wonders how she even survives some of the previous Cullings. She always gives off a weird vibe to him, and out of all the Ravagers, he doesn't trust her the most. 

"Is that Windstorm?! What happened?" James asks when he notices the pale looking blonde with a missing arm. Omen uses her telepathic powers to place Traci, Raven, and Windstorm on the floor.

_"Trigon took control of Raven's body and destroyed his arm. However, I've mentally place Raven in a deep sleep before Trigon gets any stronger."_

“Tch, idiot. I bet he was screwing around instead of finishing the job,” Reno says with a scowl. “Anyways, that's all of them in this area. The Culling should be ending soon.”

**[ZAP!]**

Suddenly a portal flowing with purple energy appears beside them. Misbelief walks through with a smile, along with Psykill carrying an unconscious Donna over his shoulder. Leash is the last one to step through with a bloody nose.

“Well isn't this a surprise,” Reno says with his arms crossed.

“Its good to see you too, Reno,” Misbelief says with a sultry smirk. She steps forward and paws at his chest, despite his ire.

“Psykill? Weren't you suppose to be with Sienna? Did something happened?” James asks.

“Oh, I'm sure you would know,” Psykill says with a sneer.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means my dear little James, is that we got traitors among us,” Leash says with a smug grin.

“Traitorsssssss?!” Crush hisses in surprise.

“That's right. I'm sure James here can fill us in on that?” Leash says as he sneers at James.

“Hold on,” Reno says as he pushes Misbelief forcefully from him. He ignores her scorching glares. “Are you accusing James of being a traitor? You have a lot of nerve.”

"We've already taken care of some of them. Including Sienna," Psykill says. A smug grin spreads across the cyborg's face at James' expression of disbelief.

“Sienna?! You're lying!” Reno growls.

“That's not all, my dear Reno. We have a pretty accurate list. Including one _Caitlin Fairchild_ ,” Misbelief spats the female's name with a small amount of venom.

“...” Reno lowers his head, a shadow cast over his eyes.

"I know it's hard to believe," Misbelief coos in fake concern. "But its the truth. Caitlin is working with traitors to-"

**[GRAB!]**

Misbelief gasps as Reno lift her in the air by her neck.

“Choose your next words... _carefully_ ,” Reno snarls.

"Enough, Warblade! We shouldn't be fighting between ourselves, instead we should concentrate on the traitors!" Psykill shouts. He raises his cannon in a warning.

"What do you think you're doing, Psykill? You don't have the guts to challenge me head-on."

Psykill laughs. “Always the insufferable hothead. I never liked your attitude. Perhaps your another traitor!”

Tension rises as everyone stays still. Crush looks between each Ravager with a nervous frown.

**[CLAP, CLAP, CLAP]**

Three loud claps interrupt the tension between them. Suddenly heavy darkness descends upon them, blackening the area.

“What the?!” Reno says as he drops Misbelief on the floor.

“What is this?” Leash asks.

"So," a deep masculine voice echoes out. "The little vermin are arguing."

"Who's there?!" Reno demands. The invading darkness that surrounds them is unnatural, and it's making his skin crawl. The darkness resides slowly as a figure walks forward. Reno stands at alert at the figure. From his point of view, the figure belongs to a man dress in a suit. But that's the only distinctive feature the man has. The darkness surrounding the man is so thick that Reno can't make out any unique features in the man's face.

“Who the heck are you?” Psykill asks.

“That is something you don't need to know, vermin. I'm here to collect Raven. Lilith, if you will?”

“Yes Master,” Lilith says. She uses her psionic power to raise the unconscious body of Raven.

“'Master'?” Reno parrots the title. What is this unsettling fear that he's experiencing?

“No one is not going anywhere!” Psykill shouts as he turns his cannon to Lilith. “Don't move a muscle, Omen.”

“What do you think you're doing?” the Man in Darkness asks.

“We'll be the one asking the questions here. Leash!”

“Already got him,” Leash says with a smug grin. “Idiot didn't realize I got him hooked.” He walks forward with one of his psionic threads on his index finger, which is attached to the back of the Man in Darkness head. “Okay tall, dark, and creepy. You got some explaining to do– ”

**[DRIP... DRIP... DRIP...]**

Reno blinks as something drops on his forehead. He moves a hand up to touch the spot. He glances at his hand to see some kind of red liquid on his fingers. He looks up, and his eyes widen in horror. Splattered on the ceiling is the remains of Leash, his body twisted and mangled with his insides on full display. His mouth is wide open in a scream of absolute anguish. Reno tears his eyes away from the gruesome display and looks around.

He's the only one standing.

“What...”

“It is time, Lilith.”

“Yes, Master.”

Reno whips around to see the Man in Darkness standing before Lilith and Raven with his hands in his pockets. Alarm bells ring out in Reno's mind as he jumps away.

“ _WHAT. THE. HELL?! What just happened? What did he do?!”_

"Are you surprised?" a voice asks behind him. Reno freezes and turns around. The Man in Darkness stands directly behind.

“How?”

“That is something you will never know, vermin.”

Reno growls. To calm his nerves, he turns around with his claws ready. "I don't care what powers you have, anyone who insults me will pay the price!"

**[KA-BOOOOOOM!]**

An ear-shattering explosion rocked the entire area. Cracks form in the ceiling, walls, and floor.

“NOW WHAT?!” Reno roars.

“ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! THERE ARE – AAAAHHHH! NO PLEASE WAIT -” the voice is cut off with the sounds of gunshots.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected. I was hoping they would make their move a bit later. No matter. Lilith, bring Raven. We have a ritual to start," the Man in Darkness says.

“As you wish,” Lilith responds.

“DON'T IGNORE ME, ASSHOLE!” Reno roars as he charges forward.

“Vermin should know their place!” the Man in Darkness hisses. Before Reno can even blink, he's already embedded into the wall. Blood burst from his mouth as he drops to his knees, his eyes wide in shock

“ _So-so fast! I didn't... I couldn't see him move... This speed... it's as if time itself stopped!”_ Reno thought as he passes out.

“To think he was one of the strongest Ravagers. What a joke. Come, Lilith.”

The man raises his arms to summon a portal. He and Lilith step in with Raven's unconscious body.

* * *

“It sounds like someone or something is attacking The Colony,” Rose says.

“Do you think it was those three Canadian kids?” Terra asks.

“I don't think so. The guy on the intercom got shot. Something is happening up there,” Dick says.

“There's the entrance to the maze,” Rose says as she points to a large opening in the cliff they are running towards.

**[KA-BOOM!]**

Another large explosion rocks the area, causing them to stumble. The lava roar and splashes angrily as the floor cracks. Debris from the ceiling came crashing down around them.

“What the hell is going on up there?!” Terra shouts. More explosions occur, although this time they were minuscule to the previous ones.

“Sounds like a war is going on right now,” Dick comments.

"Let's move and find the others!" Rose barks. They rush forward and into the maze. Rose expertly leads them through it, thanks to the beacon James has on his suit. "Their not far now, just around this corner!"

They turn the corner and freeze at the sight in front of them. Both members of the Ravagers and Teen Titans lay on the ground. Dick looks up on the ceiling above the bodies and blanches when he sees the gruesome remains of Leash. 

"James!" Sienna cries out. They run forward to check their fallen allies. Sienna hops off the floating platform to check on James while Terra unceremoniously drops the platform containing Thrice to the ground as she checks on Garfield. Rose moves to examine the Ravagers, and Dick checks up on Kori, Jaime, Donna, and Traci.

“Their still alive, just unconscious,” Dick says with great relief. He cradles Kori's head in his hands with care. “I'm so sorry that we didn't get here sooner, Kori.”

“These guys are okay too...” Rose says as she checks on Reno. “Warblade here is in bad condition though. I can't imagine anyone doing this much damage to him.”

"Did they take each other out?" Sienna asks as she calmly moves her hand in James' hair in a soothing manner.

“No... there must've been a third party here. Someone or something did this to them,” Dick says.

“What should we do? We can't just leave them here, and I can't carry them all either,” Terra says. She hugs Garfield to her, relieved that her favorite idiot is still alive.

“Things just got more complicated...” Rose says with a deep sigh.

**[KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!]**

This explosion has been the largest one yet, and the shock wave is immense. It feels as if the very foundation is shaking. The cracks in the walls, floor, and ceiling grew. A large section of the ceiling falls beside them, with more following that.

Before anyone can do anything, the ceiling finally caves in and buries them alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAANNNDDDD we have our first major death. Rest in peace Leash, you will (not) be missed. Don't worry, there will be more to come! *evil laugh*
> 
> So we see our first glimpse of the one who is REALLY in charge of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Harvest is nothing but a puppet to this mysterious man. So the big question: who is the Man in Darkness? And why does he want Raven so badly? The answer will come... and I'm sure it won't be one you'll expect!
> 
> Looks like things are going to get real bad for N.O.W.H.E.R.E. But who or what is attacking The Colony? Find out in the next chapter!
> 
> For the Blood Harvest Arc will begin!


	9. The Super Sons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned in the previous chapter, I'll be trying out a new format to "spice" the story up a bit. This chapter will start the Blood Harvest Arc. There is going to be a lot to unpack in this chapter!
> 
> Enjoy!

**MEDIA LEGEND**

“Talking”

“ **The Man in Darkness”**

“ _Thoughts”_

“ _ **Trigon/ Telepathic Dialogue/ Raven's Spells”**_

'Written Words'

**'Keywords'**

**Locations**

_Narrator/ Explaining Events/ Emphasizes_

**[SOUND EFFECTS]**

* * *

_Two are better than one,_

_because they have a good return for their labor:_

_If either of them falls down,_

_one can help the other up._

_But pity anyone who falls_

_and has no one to help them up._

_Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm._

_But how can one keep warm alone?_

_Though one may be overpowered,_

_two can defend themselves._

_A cord of three strands is not quickly broken._

– Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 12

_The N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Arc comes to a close_

_The Blood Harvest Arc begins!_

Karen Beecher's origin isn't your typical one. The usual,  _ cliché _ origin of a standard hero is one of tragedy. A tragic past that made them commit to a life of fighting crime to save the innocents. Take her fellow founding members of the Teen Titans. Dick, Roy, Gar, and to an extension Wally, had gone through terrible ordeals that shaped them in the present. Dick lost his parents in a circus incident, Roy had to kill a man at just ten-years-old to save himself, Gar contracted a disease and lost his parents in a freak accident, and Wally was doused in chemicals and struck by a Speed Force lightning, frying his skin and nearly killed him in the process. Indeed, the founders of the Teen Titans had suffered tragedy in their young lives. 

However, Karen was different.

Instead of a tragic past, Karen's was rather simple. At an early age, many considered Karen a prodigy. Her genius intellect caught the attention of many, and in her early teens, she's already worked on numerous projects with some of the brightest minds in the United States. She learned a lot from her time spent with the scientists from S.T.A.R. Labs. Despite this, Karen had felt... sort of empty. Wearing a lab coat and sitting around in a lab is just not her style. So she does what every young teen that have access to funding and equipment provided from the U.S. Government.

She built her very own suit.

Long story short, Karen made her public debut with her prototype Bumblebee suit, instantly becoming popular among the citizens. This, of course, caught Batman's attention. And being the great detective he is, had found out her true identity without any difficulty. She was approached by Dick, who was still operating as Robin, who wanted to create a team of teenage heroes who want to make a difference. Seeing no harm, Karen agreed and the rest is history. She became a founding member of the Teen Titans, help fight against crime by their side, and eventually found love in the form of one Malcolm "Mal" Duncan. The two had instantly hit it off and are now engaged to be wed in the summer of this year.

When Leash zapped her with his psionic ray, she thought that her life as a hero had come to a screeching halt. No more adventures with the team, no more teasing Roy for his lack of romantic partners, and no future wedding with Malcolm.

Thankfully her fears didn't come through.

When Karen came to after her teleportation, she found herself in darkness. At first, she panicked, but her suit's visor had quickly revealed that she is in some kind of utility room.

"Where am I?” she asks herself. The last thing she remembered was talking to Roy and the woman who attacked them at the Outpost, then that creep Leash had zapped her. “He must've teleported me somewhere. But where?”

Karen spots a door and heads towards it. She tried the knob to see that its unlocked, and open it slowly. She moves her head to look outside and gasps in shock. Familiar walkways, as well as people, dress in lab coats and silver armor, greets her. She's still at the Colony! 

“Kekeke!” Karen cackles uncharacteristically. “That idiot teleported me out of the Crucible and back at the base. There must be a way for me to contact outside. Time to do a little detective work!” She then shrunk down to the size of a human palm and flies out.

* * *

Nathan Edward Davis never considers himself an impatient person when it comes to dealing with people. However, the bumbling moron of a N.O.W.H.E.R.E. scientist he is dealing with right now may just break that virtue. With a heavy sigh, he moves a hand in his black hair in agitation.

“For the last time, we don't know WHY or HOW these  **'Dino Braces'** had chosen us,” he says with a glare. “Heck, we don't even know how to activate them!”

The scientist, a short bald man with a ridiculous mustache wearing a pair of vintage retro steampunk glasses, starts hopping in place in rage. "Enough of your excuses! Templar demands you unlock the Dino Braces so that we can study them! If you don't I'll-"

"You'll what?" Nathan challenges. "I'm not afraid of Templar. And you can't force us to do anything." Nathan's mood improves at the sight of the short man turning red from anger. He glances over to the center of the room, where a group of scientists surrounds three large pods, each containing the Dino Braces. Raleigh is hopping around the room, talking the ears off of everyone. Poor Emma sometimes has to wrestle the redhead to calm him down.

"You won't be so cocky when we figure out those Dino Braces of yours. That, I promise you!" the fuming short scientists say with a sneer.

Nathan rolls his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don't touch them. Don't want to end up like the last ones who did." This time a huge smile grows on his face as the short scientist pale at the mention of their previous incident. Long story short, some of the scientists thought it was a good idea to touch the Dino Braces physically. The next thing anyone knew, the scientists were blown away by a force so strong, that they ended up breaking every bone in their body upon impact at the wall. Ever since then, only the three chosen owners can handle the prehistoric equipment.

"Mark my words, brat! You'll rue this day..." the short scientists promise as he stomps away.

“Get a shave,” Nathan grumbles. He looks around him and sighs. As much as he wanted to keep his promise by causing a distraction, it was easier said than done. “I just hope those Teen Titan guys are still alive.”

As he ponders his next move, a miniature Karen flies past the room through the ventilation shafts.

* * *

Jon impatiently paces around the room he's in. He had just gotten back after another series of tests conducted on him. They were tedious but with the help of Doctor Umber, he had gotten through the session. Now he is back in his usual quarters. Jon hates this feeling of being completely powerless. He had put up quite a fight the first few years of his capture, but eventually, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and his mysterious sickness had taken its toll on him.

"How many years has it been since we ended up here?" Jon asks himself. He had lost count of the years its been every since N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and The Colony had been transported to this universe. He wondered if the family he left behind thought he was dead? He hates to think about how his grieving parents would feel, their only child taken from them. He'd imagine they would've done everything in their power to get him back, but how would they find him if he's in a completely different universe?

“ _Jon...”_

"HRK!" Jon grunts as a head-splitting headache explode in his mind. "Not... again..."

“ _Jon...”_ the voice whispers his name again. Memories came flooding back. His sixth birthday party by the Kent family farm. His parents: Clark and Lois, sharing a laugh with Bruce, Diana, Arthur, and Mera near the porch. Barry and Wally managing the grill, the latter chatting up a storm about his latest clash with some villain. Conner flirting with Donna, causing Cassie to get angry and punch him in his side, knocking the wind out of him. Krypto barking and running around Titus, who seems sick of the super dog bugging him. Kara talking with Pa and Ma Kent about her time with the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future. 

The memories skip to an unknown amount of time later, and this time he seems himself along with Damian walking towards the Kent family tree. Waiting for them there is a figure with blonde hair in long twin pigtails. Before the figure could turn to greet them, his memories came to a screeching halt. Jon falls to his knees, sweat rolling down his face.

"Again... I had that vision again... why does it always stop when I meet that person? Who is it?" Jon says as he sits down. The 'episodes' had increased as the years go by. It's always the same scene. His sixth birthday party with dozens upon dozens of super-heroes there to celebrate at the Kent Farm, then the mysterious figure waiting at the Kent family tree. What does it all mean? And who was that person? It's someone he knew in his original universe, yet whenever he tries to, a pain so great explodes in his mind.

It's as if something or someone is actively making sure he doesn't remember.

“ **That wench doesn't know when to give up. She is nothing but a fragment of the past.”**

Jon jolt at the dark voice. “Who-”

**[TAP TAP]**

Jon blinks when he hears small knocks. He looks up to the ventilation shaft that enters the room to see it moving slightly. Curious, he stands up to get a closer look. The taps got louder until eventually the grate finally drop. Jon blink as a tiny Karen came buzzing down.

"B-Bumblebee?" Jon whispers in shock. Karen suddenly grows to her regular height, startling the poor Kryptonian teen.

“Phew!” Karen breathes a sigh of relief. “I gotta thank the  **'Atom'** for helping me perfect the shrinking abilities of my suit.”

“How did you get here?”

“One of the Ravagers, Leash, had sent me here after I kicked his butt. Good thing it wasn't in the middle of the Arctic.”

“R-right...”

“Anyways, I plan on contacting the outside world for help. Do you have any idea where N.O.W.H.E.R.E. keeps their communication equipment?”

Jon shakes his head. “Sorry, even with all my years here, they kept a tight lid on things. They only move me between specific places.”

“Don't worry about it. That just means we'll have to do a bit of detective work-”

Loud voices interrupts her. They turn to the door as the sounds of men shouting increases in volume.

“What's going on out there?” Jon asks.

“No clue, but I'm not waiting to find out,” Karen says as she presses a few buttons on her wrist. Her suit activates and the next thing Jon knows, a tiny Karen is buzzing around him. She lands on his head, using his black curls as a cover. “Hope you don't mind, kiddo.”

Jon chuckles nervously. “I-its fine.”

“Good. Once it quiets down, let's think of a way of us to get help.”

Suddenly, the roar of gunfire erupts from behind the door. Jon and Karen jolt at the sound as they hear people screaming.

“W-what–“

**[BOOOM!]**

An explosion destroyed the door and surrounding walls. The blast sent Jon flying back to the opposite end. He lands painfully on his front, his ears ringing. Normally such an explosion wouldn't be so bad, but in his weakened state, he is nothing more than just a really strong human. He coughs to clear his lungs. Footsteps echo as someone walks in. Jon looks up and nearly gasp in shock. A tall man with short blonde hair and blue eyes stare at him. The man is dress in a Grey military uniform. The name 'TREVOR, S.' is written on his left chest.

"What's this?" the man says as he lazily places his rifle over his shoulder. "I didn't expect to see a miniature  **'Ultraman'** here.”

“What? Ultraman?” Jon questions as he stands up slowly.

“Ah, doesn't matter.  **'Superwoman'** ordered us to leave no survivors. So I guess you'll have to die," the man says as he unholsters his revolver and aims it at him. Jon gasps and dash to the side to avoid the incoming bullets. He dives for a table that is still intact, however, the man is quicker and fires a precise shot that blasts through Jon's calf. He cries out in pain as he crashes behind the turned over table. 

“Jon!” Karen shouts.

“I-I'm fine...” Jon says with a shaky breath. He glances down at his leg and grimaces at the large hole in it, blood leaking from the wound.

The man whistles. "Not bad, kid. I bet your surprised my bullets can hurt Kryptonians, right?" he steps closer with his revolver still drawn. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I have a habit of kill first, introduce myself later.

“The name's Steven Trevor, A.K.A,  **'Gunslayer'** from the  **'Crime Syndicate'.** " 

* * *

Hours Before the Attack

**The Crucible, Training Arena**

Damian easily dodges the incoming lasers launching at him with ease. He darts forward and slices the robot in half with a swift swing. He raises his sword to deflect another barrage of incoming lasers shot at him.

“Coming through!” a voice shouts above. A pair of red beams shot down and fry the robots, causing them to explode. Conner lands beside Damian with his arms raised in a pose. The arrogant Kryptonian clone is missing his signature Lex Corp jacket and aviators, but that didn't stop him from showing off. “This is too easy. When will they give us a real challenge, huh?”

“We should prioritize in getting out of here, not showing off!” Damian scolds. “Why can't you ever take things seriously?!”

“Not to worry, not to worry! The others can handle themselves.”

"That's beside the point!" Damian fumes. He takes a deep breath to calm himself before he does anything rash. Instead, he takes the time to look around their surrounding. Ever since they have been transported to this place, they had been fighting waves after waves of robots. They were proven to be nothing but a hindrance, and despite Conner's easy-going mood, he had proven himself to be reliable against the waves of robotic soldiers.

Out of all the zones in The Crucible, the Training Arena is the most normal one. The zone consists of a large stage surrounded by high-strength steel, creating a dome. Despite its primitive looks, the caged dome seems to be imbued with some sort of barrier, that negates anything thrown against it. Conner had attempted to bust his way out with force, but to their surprise, something had rendered Conner's superhuman strength to little taps. Whatever the caged dome is made out of, their gonna have to think of another way to escape. The only way out it seems is by teleportation, seeing as N.O.W.H.E.R.E. uses that to send the robots after them. 

Overlooking the caged dome is a command center of the sort, where N.O.W.H.E.R.E. collects the footage from The Culling to study and build data from their drones.

“Splendid performance, you two! Of course, I knew those robots wouldn't be a match for your skills!” a voice shouts over the intercoms.

“Templar...” Damian growls. “How long do you plan on us fighting your pathetic legion of scrap metal?”

“Why, just a little warm-up, my dear Robin! I got to say, you Teen Titans sure are getting us some valuable combat data,” Templar's smug voice shouts. “But I digress. Allow me to introduce your next opponents!”

**[KRRKKK!]**

In a burst of energy, two figures appear before them. The first is a large muscular man with brown hair and eyes. A tattoo of a laughing skull with green wings is one his chest. The second is reptilian with a slight humanoid appearance. The creature's skin is light orange, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and pants that mold around its body. Its tail is about two meters long, which sways from time to time as it stands there.

"I'd like you to meet two of our newest members of the Ravagers:  **'Grunge'** and  **'Ridge'** !”

"They don't look so tough," Conner says with his arms folded.

“Don't let their appearances deceive you. We should--”

**[WHOOSH!]**

Conner ignores Damian and charges forward and throws a punch at the muscular man. Instead of connecting, the man merely catches Conner's punch with ease.

“What's this?” the man says with a nonplus face. “When I heard that the clone of Superman is partaking in the Culling, I was expecting someone...” the man winds his arm back and slams his fist into Conner's face.

**[BLAM!]**

The punch was so strong it sent Conner flying to the other side of the dome and crash against the caged wall.

“...Stronger,” the man finishes as he cracks his knuckles.

"Conner!" Damian shouts as he runs over. When he reaches him, he did a double-take at what he sees. Blood leaks out of Conner's mouth and nose as he sits up with a groan.

“ _Conner's bleeding?! And only from one punch? How is that man so strong he can hurt a Kryptonian so easily?”_ he thought as he turns to look at the smug grin of the man. He looks at the man's arms to see that they have changed color, and look oddly metallic.  _ “What's with his arms?” _

“I'm fine...” Conner says as he spits a large amount of blood out of his mouth. “He just got lucky, that's all.”

“Stop trying to be tough, you idiot!” Damian shouts. “If we are to get out of this alive, we're gonna have to work together! Now stop being so selfish, and work with me for once!”

Conner stares at him in shock, but instead of arguing with him, he chuckles and stands up.

“Your right. This is no time for me to act like a selfish prick. We'll do it your way,” Conner says with a large grin.

Damian stood there, completely speechless. He hates to admit it, but there are times where he can't  **'read'** Conner as he can anyone else. He mentally shakes his head to get to the matter at hand.

“Good. Listen, I hate to admit this, but you will have to be the one to take those two down,” Damian says. “I'll distract Ridge, while you figure out a weakness on Grudge.”

“Got it.”

“Then let's counterattack!”

* * *

In the command center overlooking the Training Arena, Templar hums as he watches the team of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. members work. Each large monitor is showing several different footages for each engagement occurring in The Culling.

"Leash and Cheshire will be engaging Bumblebee and Speedy in the Outpost zone of The Crucible. Misbelief is on standby for her secret assignment," one of them announces.

“Psykill, Bright Eyes, Thrice, and Rose are currently fighting Nightwing, Terra, and Wonder Girl in the cavern zone.”

“Windshear, Windstorm, Warblade, and Crush will be engaging Beast Boy, Starfire, Blue Beetle, Raven, and Traci in the maze zone.”

“Excellent! Make sure to gather as much data as you can. This Culling should prove to be quite interesting!”

“Yes sir!”

“Director Templar,” a voice says. Templar turns to see a skinny, sickly purple man walking towards him. Dozen of holes adore the man's upper body.

“ **'Shadow Walker'** .” Templar acknowledges with a nod.

“I've come to report on the rumors of there being  **'traitors'** among us.”

“And?”

“We were correct as to who they are.”

“How accurate was our prediction?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Hmm...” Templar holds his chin in thought. “Have you notified Lord Harvest about this?”

“I have. He says that you and  **'Director Centerhall'** have full permission to deal with the traitors as you see fit.”

A dark grin graces Templar's lips.

“Good. Good! I want you and Director Centerhall to communicate with the Ravagers as to who the traitors among them are.”

Shadow Walker bows. “As you wish. What will you do?”

“I have an impromptu meeting with  **'Caitlin Fairchild'** .”

* * *

Caitlin Fairchild silently taps away at the datapad in her hands. She had been working around the clock in getting the  **'Power Girl Revival Program'** to operational levels. She fixes the large round glasses on the bridge of her nose and turns her green eyes to the pair of pods in front of her. In the first one floats a young woman with  **'short blonde hair'** in a white form-fitting costume. The second one houses a short teenage girl with an olive skin tone with black hair in a pom-pom hairstyle. Dozens of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. scientists surround the two pods as they continue working. 

"How is the project coming along, Doctor Fairchild?" a voice asks, breaking her out of her musings. A silent shiver runs down her spine as she turns to see Templar standing there with a smile. No, not a genuine smile, but a malicious one.

It has been a full year ever since she joined N.O.W.H.E.R.E. She used to be a member of Project Cadmus, and was on the committee of scientists who worked on the clone of Superman. After the battle between the Supermen, Caitlin flees from Project Cadmus when the U.S. Government and the Justice League decided to crack down on them. Shortly after, she was contacted by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. She had her doubts at first, but after meeting her old colleague David Umber, she agreed to join the organization. It didn't take her long to prove her worth, impressing even the big boss himself, Harvest. However, this brought her into conflict with Templar. Since day one Caitlin and Templar never got along. His methods of conducting the various test and experiments are brutal and sometimes sadistic. Caitlin on the other hand is more compassionate and doesn't hesitate to call Templar out for his abhorrent tactics.

Templar didn't miss the tiny scowl that Caitlin is sending him. The bleeding heart never hesitates to voice her displeasure on how N.O.W.H.E.R.E. handles the kidnapping and usage of young metahumans. Especially his handling of the various tests the organization runs to further their goals. Yet despite this, she continues to work here. All the more reason for him to believe she's one of the rumored traitors that have been operating for their interest.

“What can I do for you, Director Templar?” Caitlin says diplomatically, brushing a strand of her red hair behind her ear.

"Just checking on your progress on our latest undertaking," Templar says as he stands beside her. He stares at the two pods with a smile. "I'm sure you are aware of how important this project is to N.O.W.H.E.R.E."

"Yes, I am aware," Caitlin replies. Templar glance at her out of the corner of his shades.

“Good. I'm sure your aware that The Culling is currently underway. I want to use Power Girl to perform some tests.”

“What?! No! It's too early!” Caitlin shouts, startling some of the scientists. “We can't bring her out now until we run further tests. The stress of obtaining Kryptonian powers can cause severe harm! I won't allow it!”

Templar lets out a laugh. “I think you forgot that I have  **'seniority'** , Doctor Fairchild.”

Caitlin openly scowls at him with a scorching glare.

"Besides, I'm sure one of the infamous members of the committee that made a successful clone of Superman and Lex Luthor should have no problem completing this project."

"They are completely different!" Caitlin shouts. "Superboy had been grown artificially from the combined DNA. This time, we are inserting the DNA of a Kryptonian to an already grown human body. Despite her being the best candidate for this, there is no telling how it will affect her biology! Not to mention life spans, eating habits, powers, growth, weaknesses–"

"Yes yes," Templar interrupts her with a lazy wave. "I do not care about your excuses. Get it down."

Caitlin bites her tongue before she gets into trouble yet again. “Fine.”

“Excellent. There is also another thing I want to discuss. Let's just say that N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has enemies within.”

“What?”

“Traitors, my dear. Traitors.”

“What are you insinuating?”

“We are to believe you, along with a few key figures in the Ravagers are planning on sabotaging us.”

“You've got to be kidding me.”

"No jokes. I know your close with that Wilson girl, and that the reason she is working with us is that we saved her brother when he was on death's door after the whole  **'Church of Blood'** ordeal.”

“...”

“We already have a list of prime suspects, and you're one of them.”

"You're being ridiculous. I don't have time to indulge you in your conspiracy theories. I have work to do."

Templar sneers at her. “Very well.” He turns to leave. “Oh, before I forget. We've moved Joseph out of the Outpost zone in The Crucible.”

“...Why are you telling me this?”

"Well if Rose was to get to her brother without drawing too much attention, it would be during The Culling. Don't you find it interesting that she plans to betray us now that the Teen Titans are involved? Maybe it's all one big coincidence..."

Caitlin chooses to ignore him, and return to her work. Templar sneers at her again and leaves without another word.

“ _You may be acting ignorant, but I know better, Caitlin Fairchild. You've always been a thorn in my side with your holy than thou attitude. When we capture Rose and kill her band of traitors._

“ _I'll make sure you suffer as well.”_

* * *

Damian dodges a series of deadly swipes from Ridge's fists. He retaliates with a series of slashes from his sword. However, his slashes were nothing but soft taps on the armored hide of the metahuman. His senses flare and he back-flips just in time to dodge a swipe from Ridge's long flexible tail. As soon as he lands on his feet Ridge is already upon him, trying to use his massive body to overwhelm him.

"You should give it up Robin," Ridge says with a hint of a British accent. "If you do, I promise not to hurt ya... much." He brings down both his fists but was stopped by Damian raising his sword. Damian grunts as the force of the blow caused his knees to buckle for a moment.

"So, you can talk," Damian says with a grunt. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't EVER plan on giving up!" With a shout, he manages to push Ridge away with force.

“Crikey!” Ridge shouts out in surprise. Damian took this opportunity to use his full weight and tackle Ridge, pushing the reptile-like metahuman back. Ridge throws another punch, but Damian dodges to the side and slice at his chest. This time he manages to leave a long wound, causing Ridge to hiss in pain.

“ _Just as I thought. His arms, legs, and back are pretty thick like a shell, but his upper body isn't as strong._ ” he thought. He dodges more punches thrown at him. The wound he inflicted has already started to heal.  _ “His healing factor is incredible. So the only way to beat him is...” _ he turns his attention for a split second to see Conner battling Grunge. The clone looks to be more focused, not making any flashy moves or unnecessary actions. He brings his attention back to Ridge as they continue to battle. 

“You seem to be less impulsive than before Superbrat,” Grunge says with a cocky grin. “But that won't save you. Your fighting against the man who's  **'mastered matter'** , Grunge!”

“Jesus buddy, do you ever shut up?!” Conner growls. He fires heat from his eyes, which Grunge counter by bringing up his metallic hand to block it.

"What's the matter? Are you pissed off?" Grunge taunts as he rushes forward. "This is what The Culling's all about. It's all about survival. You have to out-think and outfight the enemy!" He tosses another punch, which Conner dodge with ease. Conner jumps into the air and sends a devastating kick to the Grunge's neck.

**[KRAKKKK!]**

"UFFT!" Grunge croaks as his neck breaks from the blow. Conner gasps in horror as the man collapses to the ground a few feet away with a broken neck.

“ _Oh, no! I assumed he'd be tougher than that. I didn't mean to kill him!”_ he panics.  _ "After everything, I still don't have full control of my strength." _ He quickly hops over to check on the man he just killed.

**[THWAM!]**

Grunge's leg sends a devastating kick below Conner's jaw.

“HRK!” Conner groans from the blow.

"See what I'm saying? An attitude like that will only make you an easy target in The Culling. A true  **'Ravager'** is merciless. A stone-cold killer!” He stands up and snaps his head into place.

“Did I forget to mention I'm a  **'metamorph'** ?” he says with a smug grin. “You ready for round two, Superbrat?”

Conner sits up and wipes the blood from his lips. “Doesn't seem like I have a choice.”

“That's the spirit!” Grunge shouts as he charges forward, his arms crusting over like they are made of stone. “Let's make a real fight of it!”

Conner gets into a stance with his fist raised, but to his shock, the metal floor below him liquefies.

“What the?!-” Conner shouts as two large chunks of the metal floor attaches themselves to his arms. Before he can react, Grunge closes the distance and grabs Conner's wrist. He grins evilly as he tightens his hold, effectively cracking Conner's bones.

“ARRRGH!” Conner screams in pain.

“I do  _ love _ the sound of bones breaking," Grunge says with a devilish smirk. "I owe you one, Superbrat. Been anxious to field-test my new powers. 

_ "M-my arms! How could he be so strong?! At this rate, he's going to shatter them completely." _ Conner thought as agony spreads throughout his body.

“There was a time I had to  **'touch'** things to gain their properties. Not anymore, thanks to N.O.W.H.E.R.E.” Grunge says as he releases Conner. He turns his back and pumps his fists in the air.

“HOO-RAAA! Who's the baddest Ravager of all?” Grunge boasts. He looks over to see Ridge still fighting Damian. “If Superbrat was so easy, I bet Robin will be a piece of cake. Hell, I bet I can even take on Warblade!”

“ _Dammit! Think, Conner, think! What is his weakness? What is it? What-”_ Conner's thoughts are interrupted when he sees something. A small glimpse, but it is confirmation as to what he is looking for.

He couldn't believe it, but the answer was right in front of him all this time. He just couldn't 'see' it. The revelation amuses him so much that he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Grunge stops his celebrating and turns around. Conner crouches up to his knees, his bloody face smirking.

“What's so funny?” Grunge asks with a serious tone.

“Oh, nothing. I just had a revelation, you see.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Have you finally lost it?”

“No... more like found.”

Grunge growls and stomps over. “Quit smirking, as if you haven't gotten your ass handed to you, Superbrat!”

“What's wrong? Surprised that I ain't giving you the satisfaction of admitting defeat?”

Grunge roars as he grabs Conner around his neck and slams him headfirst into the metal floor.

**[KWAM! KWAM! KWAM! KWAM!]**

Over and over Grunge slams his head into the floor, but Conner didn't dare lose consciousness. He tries his best to fight the pain.

“You're gonna die, Superbrat! And I'll have the pleasure of burying you.” Grunge says as he holds the clone by his neck. To the man's surprise, Conner is still smirking. “You got guts, still smirking like that.”

“You know...” Conner begins to say, his voice strained by Grunge's hold over his neck. “When I escaped from my pod for the first time, I didn't remember how I did it. It wasn't like I punched my way out. No, it looked like the pod itself had been  **'taken apart screw by screw'.** At the time I didn't give it much thought, since I was confused beyond hell as to why I was there. After that, there have been a few times when I noticed things that even I didn't understand. I chalked it up to my inherited Kryptonian powers, but not even Superman knew what I was talking about. It was only after a certain conversation I had with that wacky A.I Eradicator did I start to get a better picture.”

“...Does this story have a point?” Grunge asks with a frown.

"I'm getting there. You see, I don't  _ have _ Kryptonian powers in the traditional sense. I  **'simulate'** them. You said you used to touch things to acquire their abilities. I noticed N.O.W.H.E.R.E. embedded some devices within you. It will be my first time using it like this as a precision tool, but it won't be a problem. So, you know what that means?" 

"W-what-" Grunge starts to say but is interrupted when severe pain starts to grow in his body. "ARRGH! What- what's happening?!"

“I can use my  **'Tactile Telekinesis'** to rip out all of those surgical implants!” Conner shouts, red aura radiating from him.

“AAAAAAAAAARGH!” Grunge screams as several large metallic objects rip out of his body forcefully. Blood splatter around the floor below him as Grunge collapse on his back, his eyes glaze over as he passes out.

Conner huffs as he stands on shaky legs. “That... was... awesome! Now...” He speeds over to where Damian and Ridge are fighting. “Yo, reptile!”

“Huh-?”

**[WHAM!]**

Conner rears his head and smashes it against Ridge's head.

"ACK!" Ridge stumbles from the hit but didn't fall. Damian uses this moment to trip Ridge by sweeping his foot. Ridge lands on the ground with a grunt. However before he can recover, Damian twists his body and elbow drop right on Ridge's stomach. "ACK!" Ridge puffs and soon passes out.

Damian sighs and stands up, sheathing his sword. "Took you long enough," he says with a huff.

"Hey, you wanted me to do all the heavy lifting," Conner says. "But, it did make me learn more about myself. I've discovered something I thought I didn't have."

“I see.” Damian then notices Conner's state. “Your arms...”

"Don't worry, he didn't completely break them, but they sure as hell hurt. Should fully heal in no time."

"Tch, it's not like I was worried about you or anything. After all, you won't be of any use to me incapacitated."

“Wow, and here I thought we were finally getting along.”

“Far from it.”

“Oh don't be like that! We can be our own little  **'team'** ! The two sons of Superman and Batman. The  **'Super Sons'** !”

Damian stares at Conner as if he had grown an extra head.

“...Where is this coming from?”

"Well, you know how the media always rave about our pops when they do some missions together? And how they endlessly speculate about us doing the same?"

Damian groans. “Please don't remind me. I don't have time to follow all the needless gossip about our work.”

"Spoken like a true Bat."

"Let's round these two up," Damian says. The two quickly gather the unconscious bodies of Ridge and Grunge and lean them against the caged wall of the dome. The sounds of clapping over the loudspeaker catch their attention.

“Bravo! Well done! That was a good showing, Superboy!” Templar's voice shouts.

"I was wondering when that clown would show up," Conner says with disdain.

“Templar, how long do you plan on keeping up this charade?” Damian demands.

“As long as you two continue sending optimal combat data, the show will go on! Especially you, Superboy. That ability, Tactile Telekinesis, is it? A unique ability that allows you to simulate the abilities of a Kryptonian... yes, very interesting... But I digress! Your next opponent shall be! -”

**[KRRKKK!]**

Like Ridge and Grunge before, a figure has been teleported into the dome. Standing before them in a suit with N.O.W.H.E.R.E. written on it is a rather thin girl with olive skin and a pom-pom hairstyle. Her eyes are closed as if she is sleeping.

“A girl?” Damian says with a frown.

"She, my lads, is our newest and most successful experiment! She is  **'Tanya Spears'** , the daughter of a renowned scientist. She has been chosen by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. as the best candidate to inherit the powers of a Kryptonian!”

"What?! You guys gave her Kryptonian powers? How?!" Conner shouts.

“That is not of your concern. Power Girl!”

At the sound of the name, the girl instantly wakes up.

"Oh? Seems like the voice recognition we programmed into her subconscious is working well," Templar notes. "Power Girl! You are ordered to engage those two in combat! Only use non-lethal force."

Tanya nods her head in acknowledgement, and charges at them. Damian and Conner dodge out of the way just as she swings at them. The two counterattacks, but to their surprise, the girl easily avoids their attacks with ease. She parries the attacks and with precision strikes both of them in the stomach, sending them a good distance away. Conner groans and drops to his knees. His earlier injuries from his battle with Grunge has not completely healed yet.

**[DRIP... DRIP... DRIP...]**

Conner wipes the trail of blood dripping from an open wound on his forehead. “Is it me, or are we losing?”

"It's just you," Damian groans beside him. Tanya comes charging at him.

"Not so fast!" Conner shouts as he jumps in front of Damian, He blocks the blow, but the strength overwhelms him. The two teens were sent flying into the caged wall. The winds were knocked out of their lungs as they drop to their knees.

“T-thanks for the save,” Damian says with a grimace.

Conner gives him a thumbs up but hisses when his hand aches in pain. “I-I hate to say it, but I think we bit off more than we could chew.”

“That's an understatement of the century...”

**[STEP! STEP!]**

They look up to see Tanya ominously stomping towards them. Her brown eyes glare at them as she stands there.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes! The Power Girl Revival Program is a complete success!” Templar's laughter booms all around them. “The combat data will be worth millions!”

“Laugh it up, you bastard...” Damian growls.

“Power Girl, commence with the next phase of the operation. Don't kill them, but feel free to make them suffer!”

Power Girl's eyes glow as she begins to grow in size. Conner and Damian stare as the once small petite girl now tower above them like a giant. She raises her right foot high into the air.

“You've got to be kidding me!” Conner shouts as he and Damian jump out of the way of being crushed. The two regroup a good distance from the giant Power Girl.

“It feels like if I get knocked down again, I won't be getting up,” Conner huffs.

“Then we'll finish this quickly,” Damian says.

“Got any plans?”

“Just one but we'll need to move fast.”

“Then let's do it!”

The two ready themselves as Power Girl stomps closer.

* * *

Templar grins as he watches the battle begins between the opposing sides. He takes his leave and enters a separate room. Inside are more monitors, but this time with several people who have their features distorted to hide their identities. Each monitor has a country listed above the person behind the screen.

“Is the show to your liking, gentlemen?” he asks.

“Very,” the figure under the 'United Kingdom' responds. “The combat data provided in this Culling has been the most promising.”

“That we can agree upon.” the 'Russian Federation' figure says with a heavy accent.

“To think Project Cadmus was able to create a successful clone that can simulate Kryptonian abilities with Tactile Telekinesis.” the 'Germany' figure says.

“Is there a way to replicate this?” the 'Japan' figure asks.

"It's possible, but with high risk. The U.S. Government had ceased Project Cadmus and all its assets. Any further cloning projects were shut down, and the data had been locked up and secured. Not even the world's best hacker can get that information now." the 'United States of America' figure responds.

"Still, the Power Girl Revival Program seems to be a huge success as well. From what you told us, Director Templar, you were able to transfer the powers of a Kryptonian to an already grown human being. If there are no side effects, is it possible to build an army of those  _ transfers _ ?” the 'China' figure asks.

"It is very much possible gentlemen," Templar says. "But with everything, it takes time and resources. Plus, the number of qualified candidates are far few in between. Simply put, we were lucky that we found Ms. Spears."

“Even so, this is a huge success.” the 'Russian Federation' figure says. Murmurs of agreement echo from the monitors.

“But there is something else we must discuss. This  **'Secret Society'** and their mysterious message early today,” the 'France' figure says. “What do you make of it, United States?”

“The U.S. has lost contact with the Justice League and the Watchtower.  **'Steve Trevor'** is currently with the President, as well as  **'A.R.G.U.S.'** has been mobilized.”

"There have been rumors here as well, of infiltration in the government." the 'Canada' figure says.

"I find it hard to believe that this Secret Society has agents in every government," Templar says with a scoff. "Besides, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has one of the most advance spy programs in the world, and we wouldn't have missed such an organization."

"That may be so, but there have been spikes of civil unrest lately. A huge riot had broken out in Metropolis." 'United States' says.

“Sightings of strange individuals have been reported in Sydney.” the 'Australia' figure says.

“There have been sightings all over the world! Yet the Justice League hasn't responded yet.” 'Germany' says.

Templar frown as the figures begin debating on the Secret Society. He too saw the mysterious transmission but is still highly skeptical of there being a  **'shadow'** organization N.O.W.H.E.R.E. has never heard of. As he discusses with his clients, some operations are occurring in the background. 

* * *

“Here is the equipment you requested.” a N.O.W.H.E.R.E. soldier says as he deposits the items on a table.

"Thank you." David Umber says. He watches as the soldier walks the wrong way. "Hey! That area's off-limits."

“Oh!” the soldier jumps. “Sorry, I'm still kind of new here. This place makes my head spin at times.”

“That's completely reasonable. Make sure it doesn't become a habit, some of us are not that lenient on mistakes like that.”

"Sure, sure! I'll go now!" the soldier says as he walks out. As soon as he leaves, the soldier places his hand near his ear.

“This is Gunslayer. I've placed the last bomb in the designated area.”

“Excellent. The Justice League have been already been dealt with, and the Watchtower is under our control.”

“I suppose the world is confused about that transmission the Outsider has sent?”

“You would be correct. Everything is going according to plan. This earth will soon fall before the might of the  **'Crime Syndicate'** .”

“That's easier said than done. How are we going to deal with the other Justice Leagues? International? China? Russia? Japan? South America? Africa?”

“You worry about N.O.W.H.E.R.E. for now!”

“Sure, but the problem is why are we trying to take them down? This organization is nothing compared to us.”

“Because they have  **'something'** we need.”

"And that is? You haven't exactly spared me all the details of this operation,  **'Lois'** .”

“You'll know when you see it.” She says and hangs up.

“Bitch...” he says with a sigh. He keeps quiet as he walks past a group of soldiers and scientists. Once it is clear, he puts his finger to his ear again.

“This is Gunslayer. All chargers are in place. I want everyone to be ready.”

A chorus of acknowledgments makes him smile.

“Let's make some noise.”

* * *

Conner and Damian find themselves in a tough situation. It seems the longer the battle drags on, the more Power Girl adapts to their strengths and exploit their weaknesses. Worst, they're still exhausted from their previous fights. No matter what they do, she always seems one step ahead of them. The  _ Super Sons _ now lay on their backs, their bodies exhausted. Power Girl stands a few feet away at her normal height. 

"Well, at least she can't fire Heat Vision at us," Conner groans as he lay there.

"Not the time for your reassuring jokes," Damian says. He lifts his head to see Power Girl silently staring at them. "The orders Templar gave to her at least is preventing her from killing us."

“I don't know, it feels like I died twelve times over already. My arms still haven't completely healed yet, and even though I'm aware of my Tactile powers, it's a whole different thing to use it at will," he says. "So, now what?" 

**[KA-BOOOOOOM!]**

The command center explodes in a fiery blast, rocking the entire area. Conner and Damian instantly stand in alert, however that causes Power Girl to charge them again.

"Give it a rest already!" Conner shouts as he defends himself from Power Girl's strikes. Damian attempts to intervene, but debris from the explosion destroys the caged dome, causing him to get hit in the side. Damian grunts as he lands painfully on the ground.

“ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! THERE ARE – AAAAHHHH! NO PLEASE WAIT -” the voice is cut off with the sounds of gunshots.

The dome continues to collapse, falling all around them. Power Girl kicks Conner, causing his feet to drag across the floor. A part of the collapsed dome comes crashing down on to her head, but she raises her fist and punches it out of the way.

“ _She's distracted! Now's my chance!”_ Conner thought. He rushes as fast as he could in his exhausted state. He holds his hands together and brings them down on Power Girl's head. 

**[THWOK!]**

"AAH!" Power Girl cries out from the blow and passes out in Conner's arms. He breathes a deep sigh of relief. He looks to see Damian standing up, holding his side.

“You okay?” he asks. More explosions came, but they sounded distant.

“We should get out of here. Let's get those two and leave.”

“Right.”

Conner easily carries both Ridge and Grunge, meanwhile Damian carries Power Girl on his back.

“Let's get out of here!”

* * *

Director Centerhall had to hold the desk for support as more explosions rock the base. He wears a yellow suit with a pistol strap on his waist. On the right side of his chest is a sort of reactor with a yellow light glowing from its center. On his left chest are three stars. His helmet seems to mold around his head, with a part of it covering his left eye.

“What the hell is going on?!” he barks at a nearby soldier.

“I-I'm not sure! Some unknown force is attacking us!” the soldier cries out.

“What?! An attack?! Is it the Justice League?”

“No Director Centerhall! Its someone else-”

**[BOOOM!]**

The wall near the soldier explodes, obliterating him to pieces. Centerhall duck as a piece of the wall flies over his head. Then the sounds of gunshots echo the area. He taps his left ear, trying to get a hold of Templar, but only receive static.

“Shit! Where the hell is Templar?!”

“Don't leave a single one of them alive. Kill them all!” a man's voice shout.

Centerhall grits his teeth. Looks like he's going have to fight his way out. With a shout, he leaps out from his cover.

* * *

Conner and Damian power walk their way through the destruction.

“I can hear the voices getting louder!” Conner shouts. “Also gunfire. Whatever is going on up there, it sounds like an all-out war!”

"Certainly doesn't sound like my father or the Justice League," Damian says. "We should proceed with caution."

"It's a good thing we didn't run into any of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s goons or anything."

“That's-” Damian stops dead in his tracks. Conner stops as well when he didn't hear Damian walking.

“Damian? What's wrong?” he asks.

Damian didn't answer. Suddenly he drops Power Girl to the ground and takes off.

"Hey! Damian! What are you-" Conner shouts after him. Damian either ignored him or didn't hear him as he sprints away. "What's gotten into him?!" he turns around but stops in surprise as someone stands beside the form of Power Girl.

“Fancy meeting you here, Conner.”

“...” Conner can only stare in disbelief.

“Tana?”

* * *

“ _ **Damian...”**_

Damian grits his teeth as he continues sprinting. He can hear Conner calling after him, but he ignores the clone.

“ _ **Hurry...”**_

Damian pushes himself to run faster. He ignores all the destruction and screaming around him. The only thing in his mind is the destination to where that voice is calling out to him.

“ _ **I need you...”**_

The voice leads him to a section that hasn't been destroyed by the explosions and gunfire. He had no idea how long he was running and of what was occurring in his surroundings, but he was on a mission to get to the voice. Damian stops when he spots two peculiar figures ahead of him. A man shrouded in darkness stands there with his hands in his pockets. Beside him is a young woman with red hair. In the woman's arms is...

“Raven...” Damian mutters as he steps closer.

“ **Kill him, Lilith.”** the Man in Darkness commands.

"As you wish," Lilith says as she hands Raven's body to him. The Man in Darkness turns his back and walks away. A great rage explodes inside Damian, and all he can see is red.

With a roar, he unsheathes his sword and charges forward.

_The pieces are in place._

_The Secret Society begins their plans for world domination, aided by the Crime Syndicate._

_A surprise infiltration within N.O.W.H.E.R.E. engulfs The Colony into war._

_NEXT UP:_

_TANA'S TRUE IDENTITY REVEALED,_

_DAMIAN FIGHTS TO SAVE THE GIRL HE LOVES_

_AND_

_JON'S DESPERATE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL AWAKENS SOMETHING,_

_A POWER THAT DWELLS WITHIN HIS SUBCONSCIOUS._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I've ever written (yet) for this story. A whole 20+ pages!
> 
> Told you guys there is going to be a lot in this chapter! So all the events are starting to take shape. Not only that, we got our first appearance of some of Crime Syndicates members. 
> 
> Next chapter will unpack a lot more with a special appearance with the Justice League Dark!
> 
> Oh and for the record, Roy and Jade are still cuddling up in that cave. Looks like their missing all the action!


	10. ⌈Miracles⌋

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a while, but here is the next chapter! Another long one, and I'm sure the rest will be the same length as well. A LOT of stuff is gonna be dropped in this, so be prepared!
> 
> Also want to mention I've uploaded a sort of "origin" story of Superman! Check it out if you the big blue boy scout (though he kinda isn't in that story).

**MEDIA LEGEND**

“Talking”

“ **The Man in Darkness”**

“ _Thoughts”_

“ _ **Trigon/ Telepathic Dialogue/ Raven's Spells”**_

'Written Words'

**'Keywords'**

**Locations**

_Narrator/ Explaining Events/ Emphasizes_

⌈ _ `amad _ ⌋

**[SOUND EFFECTS]**

* * *

_The Hebrew word `amad:_

_To stand, remain, endure, take one's stand._

_That was the name given to the apparitions by the ancient Israelite tribes._

_I never believed in the supernatural,_

_but on that faithful day during the Civil War,_

_I became a believer._

_The bizarre shifting lands that trap people and grant them powers was long thought of as a myth,_

_passed down between the superstitious Native American tribes._

_The Native Americans called these lands..._

_Devil's Land._

\- Excerpt from the Personal Journal of  **'Jonah Woodson Hex'** .

BLOOD HARVEST ARC

The first thing Donna hears when she wakes up is the sounds of machines beeping. Her heavy eyes open to see a surrounding unfamiliar with her.

“ _How did I get here? The last thing I remember is passing out while fighting those Ravagers...”_ Donna thought as she sits up. She looks around. She is sitting in a large bed in a common intensive care unit room. A series of wires from a ventilator is hooked into her left arm. 

“You are awake.” a voice speaks up. Donna blinks and looks up to see a purple figure with obvious feminine traits to it. The figure's bright purple eyes stare at her with an emotionless expression. The figure is familiar to Donna, and she wracks her brain to figure it out. Then it comes to her.

“You're  **'Black Orchid'** , right?” Donna asks.

It nods and bows its head. “That is correct, Donna Troy.”

“Then this must be the  **'House of Mystery'** . How did I get here? And is everyone in the Teen Titans okay? What about N.O.W.H.E.R.E? The Culling?" Donna asks quickly. She remembers John and Zatanna had taken the Teen Titans to the mysterious house during their free time last year. It was quite fascinating how the house can pretty much go anywhere it wants to. 

“Perhaps someone more... qualified will answer those questions. It has only been recently since I  **'woke'** up," Black Orchid says. It moves forward and safely unhooks Donna from the ventilator. Donna mutters thanks and happily snap on her Bracelets of Submission. Sometimes she feels  _ naked  _ without them on. Black Orchid holds out its hand. “Now, If you will.”

Not seeing any other option, Donna holds the outstretched hand of the manifestation of the House of Mystery. Before she even blinks, they are already in the main foyer.

“AAAH! Oh, bloody hell! I told you to stop scaring me like that!” a cranky voice with a British accent shouts. Donna looks to see John standing close by with a hand over his chest, dress in his usual beige suit.

“John Constantine? What's going on?” Donna questions.

“Well look who decides to wake up,” John says. “Took you long enough, we didn't think another one would've woken up any sooner.”

"Another one? Who-" Donna stops when she spots a familiar figure by the crackling fireplace. Rose Wilson stands facing the flames with her arms crossed and her twin swords on her back. "Rose..."

The white-haired assassin turns around and marches towards her. Donna tense as she gets closer. "Don't worry, Wonder Girl. I'm not part of the Ravagers. Not anymore at least."

"She gave me the run down," John says. "Look, I know you are pretty confused right now, but we have bigger things to worry about."

“What could be bigger than N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and their crimes?! We need to contact the Justice League-” Donna almost shouts

“The Justice League has been compromised,” John interrupts her with a frown.

Donna's eyes widen. “C-compromised? What do you mean?”

"Someone attacked the Watchtower. I don't how they did it, but they caught us completely off guard. The next thing I knew, I wake up in a bloody red sea surrounded by bloody skeletons!" John huffs as he pockets out a cigarette and lit it. He takes a long drag and runs a hand through his hair, clearly stressed out. "I lost contact with everyone from Justice League Dark. That thing...  **'Blight'** is what it calls itself, took them and put them... somewhere. Hell, that thing even managed to trap the House of Mystery from moving. And that's, like, literally impossible to do. I've been hopping from realms to realms ever since, trying to track down Blight and the  **'Seven Deadly Sins'** .”

Donna frowns and turns to Rose, who shakes her head. They stand there in silence as John pace around, muttering to himself. Black Orchid had long disappeared from the lobby. Rose had taken the time to explain to Donna her role within the Ravagers to the time she woke up in the House of Mystery.

“-Terra was able to save us from being completely crushed, but it was too much even for her. She had managed to minimize the damage we would've gotten. I passed out when we got buried. I woke up shortly before you did. As to how we got here from under that rubble, I have no idea.”

"I can answer that question." a masculine voice says. The two look to see a middle-aged man dress in a stereotypical scientist garb approaching them from a door. He adjusts the pair of glasses on his face as he takes a long drag from his cigarette. His brown hair is messy and stands in every direction. Shadows hang over his eyes, clearly a sign the man isn't sleeping well.

“ **'Doctor Thirteen'** ,” John says as he stands beside Donna and Rose. “How are the others?”

"They are in good health. The Teen Titans will make a full recovery, but some of those Ravagers suffered some serious wounds. Especially that fellow in the armor."

“Wait... You said Doctor Thirteen... Are you perhaps...” Donna says.

The man nods. “The name's  **'Terrence Thirteen'** . I'm sure you've known me by my handle Doctor 13. I'm the father of Traci.”

“How are you here? The Justice League lost contact with you years ago. It was a pretty big deal at the time.” Donna asks.

"That may or may not be my fault," John says with a sheepish smile.

“It's a long story,” Terrence says before Donna can reply. “One that I will share once we're out of this mess. A lot of events are transpiring right now. Too much to be a coincidence.”

"Yeah, a lot of those have been happening lately," John says with another drag from his cigarette.

“I see?” says Rose in more of a question. “Thank you for saving us, but we have to head back to The Colony. We have some unfinished business there.”

"No can do, love. We're not exactly on earth right now. In fact, we're not in our own plane of existence. We're currently in  **'The Bleed'** .”

“The what?”

"The Bleed is an inter-dimensional plane that forms the barriers to parallel dimensions," Terrence explains. He only receives blank looks from Donna and Rose. He sighs. "It's pretty much the space that exists between universes."

More blank looks.

“He's talking about a  **'multiverse'** , loves.”

There is a moment of silence between them all.

"You've got to be joking," Rose finally says with an expression of disbelief.

"I wish it was a joke, but it's not," John says with a sigh.

“Then why can't we just leave this... Bleed thing?” Donna asks with a tilt of her head.

"Easier said than done. It's not something we can easily navigate in," Terrence replies.

“Then how did you guys saved us under that rubble back at The Colony?” Rose asks.

John and Terrence look at each other.

"I don't think it hurts to show them," Terrence says with a shrug. John nods. He pockets out a small spherical object. He holds it up and the object begins to take morph and change between shapes like liquid. They watch in almost hypnotizing awe as the object floats in front of them, changing and morphing into shapes their minds can't comprehend.

“What... is that?” Rose asks, her eyes gazing at the morphing object.

"The natives from the realm we got it from calls it a  **'Cosmic Navigator'** . They say it has the power to show you what you have to do next to fulfill your goal," Terrence explains. "Like a premonition." 

“When I got it, after  **'winning'** back the House of Mystery, the bloody thing activated itself and showed us a vision. It was you lot getting buried. The next thing we know, the House of Mystery traveled all the way back to earth. There seems to be a  **'connection'** between this thing and the House of Mystery. And even I don't know what it is.” John says with a tired sigh.

"It was a good thing it did. Any later and you guys might've suffocated under all that debris."

"...I'm not exactly sure I understand everything you guys just said," Rose says with a frown.

Donna nervously chuckles. “You sorta expect this thing when working with the Justice League Dark.”

“Yup. Gods, devils, monsters, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, supernatural crazies, alternate dimensions, eldritch abominations, cosmic adventures. You'll love it.” John says.

"...I'll take your word for it," says Rose, entirely not convinced.

**[WHOOOOM! BRRRRRRR! KRRKKK!]**

To their surprise, energy pours from the Cosmic Navigator as it floats into the air and starts to expand. Then it explodes, surrounding the main foyer with its essence.

“What's happening?!” Donna cries out.

“The same thing happens when it showed us the vision of you guys! It must be doing it again!” Terrence shouts. Another explosion of energy reveals to them a scene playing from the mystic light. Three figures whose features are hidden in darkness hang from their wrist in the air. They seem to be unconscious as they sway from side to side. The place the three strangers are in looks to be an old fashioned apartment room. The vision ends and the Cosmic Navigator hums as it slowly lowers down until it hovers between them. They all look at each other.

The next thing they knew, they find themselves at an old apartment in New York City.

* * *

**The Colony**

Conner can't believe the day he's been having. It started completely normal with him helping Ma and Pa Kent around the farm, getting chewed out by his old man and the ever moody Damian Wayne, and finally going on his date with Tana. Then Warblade shows up to crash his party, they get captured and sent to an underground arctic base belonging to a universe-hopping criminal organization. Then they take part in The Culling as a way to uncover N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s ambitions, him and the moody Damian battle a horde of robots, he almost got his arms crushed by an egocentric maniac, and fought against a Kryptonian level girl that can grow in size.

And all that happened within hours.

Conner thought nothing more could surprise him at this point, but to see the girl you were on a date with hours ago standing before you in a blue tight-fitting costume with a bandanna. A pair of blue aviators cover her brown eyes, which stare intensely at him.

"...Tana?" Conner speaks up, his eyes wide in awe. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "This has got to be a trick. How-"

“There is no time to explain Kent,” Tana cuts him off, her voice cold and sharp.

“What?” Conner responds as he stares at her. “What do you mean? What's going on?”

She ignores him as she bends down to retrieve the fallen Tanya.

**[KA-BOOOM!]**

An explosion rocks the area. Conner steps to the side to avoid falling debris from the ceiling.

"Look out!" he screams as a large part of the ceiling falls above Tana.

"There's no need for concern," Tana says as she rests Tanya on the crack wall beside him. Conner does a double-take as he turns to her sharply.

“ _F-Fast! She moved so fast!”_ Conner thought.

“I'd advise you to get out of The Colony. Looks like the Secret Society is finally making their moves.”

“What? Secret Society? You're not making any sense! Tell me what's happening! Right. Now.”

Tana regards him with a silent glare.

“I'm not  **'authorize'** to do so,” she says with a stubborn turn of her head.

“Authorize?! Who's authorization?”

"As I said, I'm not authorized to tell you anything. Now, leave! You and the Teen Titans need to head back to the States. The battles have just begun."

Conner grits his teeth in frustration. He places Grunge and Ridge beside Tanya and stands before Tana with narrow eyes.

“I don't know who you are, but your NOT Tana. Let me ask you one more time. Who. Are. You?” he growls.

Tana's glare seems to falter as she starts to blush. Conner's intense gaze drops as he stares at her in confusion.

“M-My code name is  **'Cherub'** ," she says with a hint of a shy smile. She shakes her head as if to snap her out of her mood change. "Enough! I've already warned you. Now go!" 

**[SWOOSH!]**

Tana disappears in a cloud as she speeds off. Conner is so shocked, that he didn't even try to chase after her. Not even a falling piece of the ceiling breaking over his head snapped him out of his trance.

“...I'm so confused right now...”

* * *

Jon grits his teeth as he holds his bleeding leg. He can hear the desperate shouts from Karen urging him to move, but the area spins around him.

“Jon! You have to move!” Karen shouts.

"I-I'm trying... but I... I..." Jon tries to respond, but pain shatters through his mind. His vision blurs and spins. It feels as if he's having another  **'episode'** , but it's way too soon!

“ _M-my leg... I feel... sick...”_ Jon thought. His movements became lethargic as he tries to crawl. He can hear the heavy steps of Gunslayer's boots echo in the room. A shadow cast itself over him. Jon turns around to see the barrel of a revolver pointing at his head.

"Nothing personal, kid. Just business," says Gunslayer as he moves his finger to the trigger.

**[BLAM!]**

Jon closes eyes, expecting to feel excruciating pain and the sweet relief of death. Instead, he feels nothing.

"What?!" he hears Gunslayer shout in disbelief. Jon opens his eyes to see the bullet that Gunslayer shot is mere inches from his face. Holding it in place is a hand. Jon follows the hand to look over his shoulder. Something is crouching beside him. Something that looks humanoid around his height and build. The humanoid creature is wearing a costume similar to his with the same blue and red pattern. The large symbol of the House of El seems to radiate with some hidden power behind it. Jon is startled at first, but a soothing feeling overcame him.

“ _What is this? I feel... a lot better.”_ Jon thought. The pain in his leg is gone, and his headache fades away.

"I don't know what's going on, but you're going to die kid!" Gunslayer shouts as he points his revolver again. The humanoid creature moves in an instant and launches a barrage of punches that sent Gunslayer flying.

"AAAAHHHH?!" Gunslayer screams. The force of the punches sent him flying out the hole he came from.

“What...” Karen says in disbelief. “What just happened?! He went flying!”

“Huh...” Jon says as he looks around him, but the mysterious savior is gone. “Was that all my imagination?”

“Jon?”

“I thought I saw something...” he looks at his leg and gasps in awe. “M-my leg! It's healed!”

“Huh?!” Karen exit the fluffy safe space of Jon's hair to look. “Whoa, your right! What is happening? What was that thing?”

"I-I don't know! But I thought I saw something... It was wearing a costume similar to mine... but it looked oddly like a... robot or something. It caught the bullet and attacked him." He stands up and to his joy, he feels no pain. His head is clear and his injuries are gone.

“It's like a  **'miracle'** ,” Karen says. The word has a sudden impact on Jon as he stands there.

“Miracle...” he whispers.

"YOU DAMN BRAT!" an angry voice shouts. They look to see a very  _ pissed _ Gunslayer standing, his mouth bleeding. “I don't know what that thing was, but it managed to break some of my ribs. I'm going to blow your goddamn head off!”

"Karen!" Jon shouts as he grabs her and ducks behind the table just as a spray of bullets from Gunslayer's M16.

“This guy is insane!” Karen shouts.

“When he runs out of ammo, I'll make a break for it.”

“Are you sure?”

"Yeah. For the first time since I had my mysterious illness, I feel... good. Great, in fact! I bet I can fly out of here no problem."

**[CLICK CLICK CLICK]**

“Shit!” curses Gunslayer as he tries to reload impatiently.

“ _Now!”_ Jon moves to launch himself into but to his horror, his feet barely left the ground. “H-HUH?!”

“What is it? Why aren't you flying?” Karen asks quickly.

Jon looks at his trembling hands, his eyes wide.

“...I lost my powers.”

* * *

Nathan wakes up with a start. He sits up and looks around his surroundings quickly. Stone pillars and a clear blue sky is what he sees. Is he dead? Is this heaven? He moves his hand to his face and pinches his cheek. He felt pain, so he is alive.

"Where... am I? The last thing I remember was..." Nathan looks down at the stone ground in thought. He remembers large explosions rocking the area, the sounds of gunfire, and the screaming, him rushing forward to Emma and Raleigh. Then the Dino Braces activated for some reason and-

Nathan gasps and looks down at this left arm. He sees the blue Dino Brace with the head of a Triceratops.

“Oh, look who's finally up!” a cheerful feminine voice breaks his thoughts. Nathan looks to see Emma standing there with a hand on her hip. The yellow Dino Brace with the head of a Pteranodon on the wrist of her left arm.

“You could've woken me up sooner,” Nathan says with a grunt.

“And miss seeing you drool all over the ground? Not a chance!” she says with a mischievous grin. “Besides, I just woke up too.”

Nathan's eyes widen and he quickly wipes the trail of drool from the corner of his lips. He glares at her, making her giggle. “That didn't happen.”

“Sure,” she says with a smug grin.

"Where's Raleigh?" he asks to change the subject.

“Running around, per usual. I swear that kid...”

“Not like your any better...” Nathan grumbles.

“What was that?!” Emma hisses.

“Nothing!” Nathan quickly says as he whistles. “Let's find him before he gets into more trouble.”

So the two set off, exploring the mysterious ruins they find themselves in. The place is surreal, and a complete shock compared to their time at The Colony. Ancient stone pillars surround them. The air around them is still, with no noticeable wind blowing. The only sounds they hear are their footsteps and a soft melodiously sound that hums around them. The bright blue sky above them has no clouds or birds, only the rays from a large sun. Yet for some reason, they don't feel any heat from it.

“-Wow! That's awesome!” the enthusiastic voice of Raleigh echoes around them. The two look at each other with a knowing glance and walk forward. The first thing they see is the redhead looking around excitedly, the next thing to their shock is a tall man with white hair dress in tribal clothing. Strange tribal tattoos are painted over the man's rather chiseled face.

“Emma! Nathan! You're both finally awake. Took you guys long enough, I thought Nathan was gonna drool forever!”

Nathan scowls as Emma had to cover her mouth to hide her giggles.

"Never mind that!" Nathan snaps. "Who's your friend?"

“Greetings, warriors from  **'Another Earth'** ," the man's deep voice seems to boom around them. 

“Another Earth?” Emma parrots.

The man nods. “Yes. That is what we call your world from our own. It was only recently we discovered its existence. This place I brought you all to is the  **'Great Sanctuary'** . It exists in a plane between our two worlds. ”

“Then you're a native of the world where these Dino Braces came from,” Nathan says as he holds up his wrist.

The man nods. “Those Braces contain the physical forms of the  **'Blastsaurs'** of my homeworld. I was the one who sent them to your world. I did this to get allies who can help me in my war against my world's enemies." 

“A war?” Raleigh asks.

The man nods. "A great war that has spread across my world, taking the lives of humans and Blastsaurs alike."

Nathan frowns. “Judging by what you said, I assume we were chosen to help you in this war?”

The man gravely nods his head. “I'm afraid so. However, I didn't know young kids such as yourselves would've been chosen.”

“Wait are we actually going to fight in a war? What about our home? Our parents? And those creeps N.O.W.H.E.R.E.?” Emma questions. “We can't just abandon the Teen Titans there!”

“Emma's right! We gotta go back and help them!” Raleigh shouts.

Nathan sighs and rubs his hand through his hair in annoyance. His two friends do have a point, they can't just abandon their lives as well as the Teen Titans to fight in some war on a different earth. Then a thought occurs to him.

“So if you were the ones who brought us here, then you can bring us back, right? I'm afraid we can't help you yet, we have unfinished business back on our earth.”

The man shakes his head. “I'm afraid I've used all of the Great Sanctuary's power to bring you here.”

Nathan's face drops at the news. “Then how do we get back?”

“The same way I was able to send the three Blastsaurs to your earth. We will need a  **'Saurian Crystal'** . They can be used as a medium to open portals that connect to your world. But that's easy said than done. They are extremely rare, and the only known ones left on my earth are in the hands of the ones who conquered it.

“The  **'Grand Empire Ouslannaiterra'** .”

_The adventures of Nathan, Raleigh, and Emma will be explored in RAMPAGE BREAKERS: The Prehistoric Age!_

* * *

**The Colony**

Karen had her fair share of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Throughout the years, the Teen Titans have fought their own share of battles, from the local petty gang-banger to villains with extraordinary power. Yet despite that, the team has always prevailed. There were moments where she wondered if a battle would be her or the team's last. That feeling of fear is something that will never truly go away in their line of work. They may be superheroes but at the end of the day their just teenagers; save for her and the older members who are young adults; who just wants to do what's right. This latest battle is proving to be the most fear-inducing of all. The team is split up to God knows where. Are they still alive? Will this morning be the last time she interacted with them? Will it be the last time she partakes in one of Gar's outragest pizza fill party? Will it be the last time she teases Roy on his lack of romantic interest?

Will it be the last time she gets to kiss her fiancee?

A lot of things have happened ever since that morning. Was it all really the truth? Karen doesn't think so. There is more to this place than simply villains just being villains. Too many things aren't adding up.

She shakes her head to rid her mind of the fear. This is not the time to be thinking about such depressing thoughts. Her teammates ARE alive, this won't be the LAST time she sees them, she WILL continue to attend Gar's outrageous pizza parties, she WILL tease Roy endlessly, and she WILL give Malcolm a hot scorching kiss once this is all over!

“Jon!” Karen shouts. “Snap out of it! That maniac is getting closer!”

“...” Jon continues to stare at his hands.

“I know it's a shock, but we can't stay here! We'll be sitting ducks and-” in her frantic talking, she forgot about her injured leg and hiss when she put too much pressure on it.

“Karen... remember what you said earlier? When I was healed and that thing punched Gunslayer away?” asks Jon in a whisper that Karen barely hears. “You said it was a  **'miracle'** . I was wondering why that word, even now, continues to stick in mind. Yes... I'm starting to get a clearer picture.”

Jon's mind flashback to a scene. A scene of his childhood. Ma and Pa dancing together in the living room, their joyous laughter bouncing off the walls. He is in his mother's arms; Lois Lane-Kent; while his father wraps his large arms around them. He watches with child-like innocence as Pa spins Ma around, causing her to laugh louder. At a later point in his life Jon remembered asking his father why Ma and Pa loved that song so much, he said -

"Before they found me, Ma and Pa were going through difficult times. Ma had complications, and they lost the baby. It was a very dark point in their lives. She was listening to that song soon after, and it stuck to her. She prayed day and night for God to bless them with a child. Then I came crashing down near the farm one night. When they found me, Ma said she cried for hours as she holds me. She said God answered her prayers. She said it was a  **'miracle'** .”

Now that miracle has a completely different meaning to him.

"Right now, my head is a mess of memories I'm not sure are real, but there is one thing for certain. The song my Ma and Pa loved was quite a popular one at the time. An American rock band from San Francisco played it. It was called -”

“TIME TO DIE, KID!” Gunslayer shouts as he approaches the side of the table, seeing Jon with his back to him.

“ ⌈ _ Miracles _ ⌋!”

The same entity that saved Jon earlier manifest itself and throws a devastating right hook.

**[THWOK!]**

“UGUUH!” Gunslayer groans as his nose and jaw were crushed by the punch. He is once again sent flying, this time through an intact portion of the wall, destroying it and crumbling the wall completely.

“That's got to hurt...” says Karen with a wince.

"Holy shit! Something just kicked Gunslayer's ass!" a voice shouts. A group of dozen soldiers in tactical gear show up with their weapons.

“What is that thing?”

“Who's the brat? Was he the one who did this to Gunslayer?”

“He's definitely a metahuman!”

“What should we do?”

“Open fire, obviously. We got our orders. No survivors!”

Jon calmly glares at them as he walks forward, a shadow forming over his eyes. The men aim their machine guns and press the trigger. Karen watched in awe as the entity, ⌈ _ Miracles _ ⌋ was what Jon called it, simply catch all the bullets with one hand. The armed men too were in a state of awe, with some stop firing from what they were witnessing. Before they could even blink, ⌈ _ Miracles _ ⌋ knock them all out with a combo of precise punches. 

“I don't know what's going on, but that was awesome!” Karen shouts.

“Karen... I need you to do something for me,” Jon says.

“What is it?” asks Karen as she flies out of his black curly hair and in front of him.

“I need you to find Doctor Umber and a woman named Caitlin Fairchild. They can help you find a way to communicate for help.”

“Okay..?” Karen trails off with a confused tone. “What about you?”

“...There's someone I need to find.”

Karen silently studies Jon, who is staring at something in the distance. She can tell something change within him. No doubt it is that entity that silently floats beside him, acting like a guardian. She has no inkling of an idea what in the world is going on, but the sheer determination Jon is radiating seems to comfort her. Gone is a confused teen from a different universe, replaced by someone who is on a mission. The distant sounds of gunfire and screaming snap her out of her thoughts.

“Okay, I'll look for them. I don't know what's going on, but I trust you.”

Jon smiles at that. “Thank you, Karen. I promise this will all be over soon.” He takes off without another word, the entity following close by. Karen watches him go before she too leaves. 

Watching all of this unfold is the sickly form of Shadow Walker.

* * *

Damian gasps and drops to his knee, using his sword as a clutch. He feels so hopeless. This Lilith woman is proving to be a strong opponent. Damian had his fair share of battling villains with magical powers, but she's proving to be on a whole other level. The sheer prowess of her magic is frightening, and can probably give Zatanna a run for her money.

"You should give up, Robin. I could've killed you a hundred times over," Lilith says. He sends a scorching glare at her from behind his mask. He hates to admit it, but she does have a point. The wounds she inflicted on him are shallow ones. There is no doubt she is stalling for time so that Raven's captor can escape. The longer this battle is drawn on, the more distance there is.

“What are you planning on doing with Raven?!” Damian demands.

“Her  **'blood'** is needed for the ritual,” Lilith says.

Damian's blood turns cold. “Ritual? What ritual?”

“ **'Blood Harvest'** . Once it is over, my Master will gain unfathomable power. With it, he can make everything in this universe right.”

Damian can't believe it. Is all of this just some elaborate trap just to separate Raven from the Titans for some ritual? If so, why go through all of this effort? No... there is something more to this. He'll worry about that later. Contrary to what some of his peers think, Damian does have a soft, vulnerable side to him. A side that can be exploited, like his own Kryptonite.

That Kryptonite is Raven.

The two had grown close after the incident involving the Church of Blood in 2017. So close in fact that after a year of keeping their relationship as professionally as they could, they decided to make it official. Soon after, they started to share the same room in the Titans Tower. Their relationship continued to blossom, and Damian believed he may actually be in love with her. A sentient he is sure that Raven also felt. Their bond had grown so much that the two can immediately tell what the other is thinking, without Raven using her telepathic link. He can't stop thinking about her every waking moment, and her presence soothes his ailing soul. They both shared a rather unpleasant upbringing, she is the daughter of the literal Devil, and he the scion of a family of assassins.

Damian is the last person to ever wear his emotions on his sleeve, and many may dismiss him as a cold, calculating brat. But there is one thing he is certain of. He is in love with Raven and is willing to do ANYTHING to keep her safe. No matter who it is, anyone who dares try to harm  _ his _ girl is gonna feel the full wrath of not a Wayne.

But of an al Ghul.

“I don't care whatever it is you and your  _ master _ plan on doing, but if he removes even a strand of hair from her head... I promise he will SUFFER for his transgressions.”

“URK!” Lilith is taken back by the amount of blood-lust she senses from him.  _ “Incredible... I've never sensed such a strong blood-lust...” _

She readies herself as Damian stands up with his head hanging low, his blood-lust growing by the second.

“ _It will be best If I don't underestimate him. Once he makes his move, I'll use my Telekinesis and destroy his mind. A cruel fate, but it must be done.”_

She watches as he approaches slowly with a tight grip on his sword. Any moment now, her precognition will kick in and she will be able to read his moves like a book. However, to her shock, no visions appear as Damian quickly charges at her. She manages to dodge just in time, narrowly avoiding being decapitated.

“ _W-what?! My precognition didn't work? Why?”_ she thought. Then something catches her eye. It's faint, but some kind of...  **'energy'** surrounds Damian's body.  _ "W-what is that? That energy... it's nothing I've ever felt before. According to N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s records, Robin is just a normal human, who enhanced his body through natural means. No regular human emits energy like that!"  _

Damian moves faster than he's ever done before and jumps in the air, delivering a roundhouse kick. Lilith blocks it with her arms but is caught off guard at the amount of strength the kick did, causing her to drop her guard. Damian lands on his feet and slashes her in quick succession.

“AAHHH!” Lilith screams as sharp pain sear across her body. Damian then kicks her away, and she lands on the floor in a painful grunt. She rolls out of the way before Damian can impale her.

“ _H-He's like a completely different person. The way he's fighting... like he actually wants to kill me!”_ Lilith thought as Damian charges her again. It's obvious he realized that he can't allow her to get far from him, since he has the clear advantage in close-quarters combat. She knows of the Teen Titans and how they fight thanks to N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s expansive surveillance system. Robin himself is a fierce fighter, but he only wounds his enemies, not kill them. 

Her desperate attempts of trying to get away have been thwarted at each turn. Then with a precise cut, Damian slashes the back of her legs.

**[SLICE!]**

Lilith screams in agony and falls to the ground. How can this happen? Why did her precognition fail her? Is this how she's going to die?

“ _No... no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I can't die here! I can't! Not until the Blood Harvest is finished! He promised... he promised he will change this universe, and bring my_ _ **'father'** _ _ back!” _

She watches in horror as Damian stalks forward, blood dripping from his sword. She desperately tries to crawl away, truly believing that Damian will finish her off.

“Don't be afraid, I won't kill you,” he states as he sheathes his sword.

"?" Lilith watches him wearily. He crouches down and removes her hood and face scarf. Her long curly red hair and green eyes surprised him for a moment. She stares at him with confused eyes. The blood-lust he had exhibited earlier has faded away into nothing. Why?

“The man who took Raven said your name was Lilith, right?” asks Damian in a soft voice.

“Y-yes?” Lilith answers hesitantly.

“Forgive me for what I did to you, but you must know. Raven... she's special to me. And if anything ever happens to her, I'll never forgive myself. So you MUST tell me everything you know about that man and the ritual. Please... I don't want to lose her.”

Lilith stares at him, speechless. The mysterious energy radiating from him seems to soothe her somewhat. As if it's clearing the fog in her mind.

“...Very well. I don't know the true identity of that man, as he surrounds himself in perpetual darkness. I believe I may be the only one who knows of his existence within the organization. He runs N.O.W.H.E.R.E. from the shadows, using Harvest as a puppet. He wants to use Raven in the Blood Harvest ritual, which he learned from the Church of Blood.”

“The Church of Blood?!”

“Yes. The Church of Blood believes that if three bodies are drained of their blood in a sacrifice, one can inherit their powers and can use it to shape the universe as they see fit. I don't know the specifics of how that is possible, but that man believes it is.”

“That's ridiculous! It sounds like the ramblings of a mad man!”

Lilith shrugs. “I thought so as well. But when he showed me... that machine, I then truly started to believe him.”

“A machine?”

“Yes. N.O.W.H.E.R.E. calls it the Time Render, but it's far more than that. It can guide you to what you truly desire.”

“I see...” Damian says. The more he learns, the more  _ bizarre _ things are.

“Do you plan to  **'pursue'** him? If you do, heed my warning. That man has power, unlike anything I've ever seen. It's hard to describe. It's like whenever he uses his abilities, it's as if  **'time itself doesn't exist'** . It truly terrifies me.”

Damian narrows his eyes. “I don't care what kind of powers he has. He's planning on sacrificing Raven for some twisted goal. I'll stop him, no MATTER what.”

Lilith closes her eyes. “I figured as much. Then I shall aid you. I can teleport you to where he's headed.”

Damian is surprised by this.

"Will, you truly do that?"

Lilith nods. "I don't know why, but there is mysterious energy radiating from you. It's telling me to help you." She conjures a portal swirling in green energy. "That will lead you to Raven. Now go."

Damian stares at the portal hesitantly. Should he trust her and step through? Or is it a trap?

“If you don't go now, your window will disappear!”

Damian shakes his head and walks towards the portal. He will deal with the consequences later. He stops just before he gets in and turns to her. "I trust you. We may have been enemies moments ago, but I trust you. Will you be okay, if I leave you here?"

Lilith nods. “I noticed you didn't fatally wound me earlier when you slashed my legs. You held back, even in your blood-lust state... I feel this is the right thing to do. Now go!”

Damian nods and enters the portal without another word. It soon disappears and Lilith falls on her back with a gasp.

“Have I truly done the right thing? Sending him after that man? Have I just destroyed the only chance of ever seeing my father again?” Lilith asks herself. “Even so... it doesn't matter. There is no chance Robin can win against that man.

"For, I fear that man may be worst than the Devil himself."

* * *

Stepping out of the portal, Damian finds himself in a dark open area with dozens of large pillars spread around. Is he even at The Colony? The architecture is completely different from the futuristic one back at the arctic base.

**[STEP... STEP... STEP...]**

Steps echo nearby. Damian turns to see someone walking down a large staircase slowly. It's too dark for him to identify who it is, so he has no choice but to hide. He uses his Batrope attached to a Batarang and grapples up to a pillar and hide on its ledge. He listens as the figure continues descending the stairs. He waits as the figure reaches the bottom of the staircase.

“ **You should just go home now, Damian Wayne.”**

"!?" Damian's heart skips a beat at the dark voice.

“ **If you step out from behind that, you're going to die.”**

Cold sweat pours down Damian's face. What is this unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach? The voice is sinister, and no one can attribute it to a human being. This must be the one who kidnapped Raven. For the first time in his life, Damian felt true  _ fear _ .

“ _Snap out of it!”_ he berates himself.  _ “Steel your nerves! Raven needs you. I'll save her, no matter what!” _

With that resolve, Damian moves with a Batarang in his outstretched arm.

**[GRAB!]**

"WHAT?!" Damian shouts when someone grabs his arm from the other side of the pillar. He sees the still form of Raven on the floor, with the man nowhere to be found. The arm that has his moves and slams it to the edge of the pillar. "AAAAAARRRGGHHHHH!" Damian screams in pain.

“ _T-this bastard is trying to break my arm off!”_

Thinking quickly, Damian unsheathes his sword with his other hand and use it to slice through the pillar twice. The sword cut through the stone like butter, causing the Man in Darkness to let go of his arm. Damian lands on his feet and quickly dashes towards Raven's body.

“ _Looks like he anticipated me coming.”_

He looks around wildly for any sight of the Man in Darkness. The part of the pillar he sliced through falls loudly to the floor, flying dust into the air. He checks Raven's neck, and breaths a huge sign of relief when he feels a pulse.

“ **What do you think you're doing, Damian Wayne?”**

Damian jolt at the dark voice, as it echoes around him.

“ **Judging by your sudden appearance, Lilith must've bought you here. It's no matter, her time will come soon as well.”**

Damian stands with his sword ready and slowly scouts the area.

**"Do you really think you have the strength to stop me? Ha! Your nothing but a weak pathetic fool, who's obsessed with that witch."**

Damian ignores the insults as he tries to find the Man in Darkness location.

**"You shouldn't be saddened by her future death, Damian Wayne. Her blood will be put to good use, as she will help grant me the power that can free us from this eternal cycle of suffering!"**

“ _The sounds of a rambling mad man. Figures anyone who knows about the Church of Blood is a complete psychopath. Just keep talking. I'll find you... and when I do...”_

“ **So turn back now.”**

“ _There he is!”_

Damian charges towards the pillar to his left.

**[SLICE!]**

He slices the pillar in three rapid swings. He sees the Man in Darkness standing there.

“THERE YOU ARE!” Damian shouts as he charges, intending to stab the man.

**[STAB!]**

Damian grins but stops. The person he stabbed wasn't the Man in Darkness... but himself?!

“ _T-the one in the shadow of the pillar... was me?! No this is impossible! What...”_

Damian can feel his essence start to move slowly. He creates afterimages as he slowly replaces the clone of himself in front of him.

“ _I... I don't understand! I saw myself just now! How is that possible?!”_

“ **Are you surprised?”**

A figure creeps out of the shadows behind him. The glaring face of a creature in a black and yellow color scheme stands behind him. The creature stands at the height of a fully grown male. Its entire skin is black with yellow stripes all over its body. The symbol of the  **'Bat'** is on its shoulders and forehead.

“ **I decided to show you... as a parting gift,”** the creature says.  **“Since this is the end, I'll fill you in. What you just witnessed and felt was you in the future. You from the few seconds you were in the past, witnessed yourself in the future.”**

Damian stands there, his body shaking from the sheer power crushing down on him.

“ **This is the power of** _ ⌈Epitaph⌋ _ _ **!** _

“ **It is the power given to me from the Devil's Land! The power that radiates from the Source Wall! I have complete mastery of time itself! NO ONE IS MY EQUAL!”**

**[THWOCK!]**

The creature pulls its arm back and rams it into Damian's spine. He drops the sword in his hand in shock, blood flying out his mouth.

“ **I don't care who it is. I will not allow anyone to threaten me and my throne. No matter what. Now you're going to disappear from this world, without anyone finding your body.”**

**[SPRRTCH! SPLAAT!]**

The creature's arm rips through his body, obliterating his organs. Damian's mouth is open wide in shock as his body spams. Blood pool down his costume and to the floor. Blood spew from his open mouth as the iron liquid fills his lungs.

“ **You came all this way to die like a dog, Damian Wayne!”**

* * *

**Gotham City**

**Wayne Manor**

**[CRACK!]**

The sound of a picture frame cracking echoes throughout the manor of the Wayne Family. Alfred Pennyworth, the humble butler of the Wayne Manor, pauses his cleaning to look. He walks over to see the large picture frame had a huge crack in it.

"Oh, dear. How did this happen?" Alfred says. He picks it up and stares at it. He frowns. The large crack in the frame has seemed to cross over Damian's body. The portrait was a recent group photo to welcome the newest member of the Bat-Family, Cassandra Cain. Alfred smiles at the memory. Bruce stands in the center, staring forward with the tiny hint of a smile. Around his arm is the beautiful form of Selina Kyle, Bruce's fiancee. His other hand rests on the shoulder of Damian, looking stern as ever. Standing beside him is Cassandra, who stare nervously at the camera. Alfred himself is standing behind Damian with a bright smile. Standing on their left is Dick with a suave smile, Jason with a small scowl, Barbara with a hand on Jason's shoulder with a peace sign, Tim nervously holding Stephanie around her waist while she beams a bright smile, and Katherine with a small smile. Standing on their right are Helena Bertinelli, the famed Huntress, Harper Row, Luke Fox, Duke Thomas, and the Bat-Cow. Resting at their feet are Ace and Titus. 

The portrait of their little family brought back so many memories, good and bad.

"I hope Master Damian is okay..." Alfred mutters. He had heard the news, on how the Teen Titans disappeared in the morning. He had reached out to Bruce but received no reply. Then, that mysterious message that was broadcast happened, proclaiming the Justice League is dead. That news, of course, caught everyone's attention. The response was immediate. The Bat Family, save for the missing Damian and Bruce, showed up. Even Jason Todd, the lone wolf that he is, showed up. Alfred was always aware of the danger that surrounds them every day in this world, but even then he always had faith that everything would be okay.

For the first time, however, Alfred felt true fear. The fear is so strong that it has taken root in his soul. So he does the only thing he can do when these moments of crisis occur.

He prays.

Alfred gets on his knees and clamps his hands together.

“ _Please God. Please keep Master Bruce and the others safe. Please protect them from the evils of this world. Please-”_

**[KA-BOOOOM!]**

A large explosion from Gotham City interrupts his prayer.

* * *

**San Francisco**

**Titans Tower**

The night is slowly descending onto the streets of San Francisco. The citizens are slowly but surely retiring to their homes, except for the party-goers. Ever since the morning, no one has seen any signs of the Teen Titans. The San Francisco Police Department has an ongoing investigation, but with there being no leads it's next to impossible for them to even start searching. However, despite this, the citizens are still not afraid. For they know that the Teen Titans WILL return to their city like they always do.

Over by the Titans Tower, an old school Ford pickup truck is parked near the entrance of it.

“Whowee! First I caught my girlfriend making out with another girl, I stopped an armed robbery, and now I find myself in 'nother State! Talk about a wild day!”

A tall girl with brown eyes and auburn hair dress in cowboy-inspired clothes taps away at the steering wheel in rhythm with the music playing on the radio.

“Of course,  **'Jinny Hex'** can take on anything life throws at her way!” she says with a toothy grin. “Though I wish I knew the Teen Titans were missing before I drove all the way here from Dripping Springs, Texas!”

Jinny hums. “The Teen Titans are missing, the Justice League are also a no show, civil unrest across the world, and a  **'war between the criminals in Gotham City'** ! It's like the end times are here!”

She removes an old photo from her pocket. In the colorless picture is what appears to be a horse race, with dozens of jockeys racing. Three figures stand out to her in the photo. The first is her great-great-grandfather, Jonah Woodson Hex. He is in the middle of the pack with a scowl on his wounded face. The other two are slightly ahead of Jonah. The first of the duo is a man in his 20s dress in rather flashy clothing for the time period with long hair that reaches the middle of his back. He has a cocky grin on his face. The other one of the duo looks to be younger than the first, who is also dress in flashy clothing. His hair is shorter than the other one, and he has a determined look etched into his face. 

She places the photo on the dashboard and grabs a paper from the passenger seat. On it is a cursive letter.

"Why did you leave all this stuff for me, grandpappy? And how did you know the real identity of Robin? That his name is Damian Wayne?"

She hums along to the song playing on the radio.

**[RUMBLE~ RUMBLE~RUMBLE~]**

The ground beneath her Ford starts to shake.

“What in the wide tarnation is going on? An earthquake?”

She steps out of her Ford to look around.

**[KRAAKKOOMMM!]**

A powerful shock wave of energy nearly knocks her off her feet. A wide orange portal opens up a dozen feet from her position. The portal shifts and twist the area around it, and electricity shoots wildly from its entrance. Then three figures came stumbling out of the portal.

“I can't... I can't believe  **'we'** made it..." the first one, a young black teen in a grey costume huff. He collapses on his back with a painful groan. 

“You did good, cousin. We were able to get away from  **'Speed Demon'** thanks to you," the second, the tallest of the trio with curly brown hair, says. He crouches down and places a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder. 

“Whoa! We really are back in the 21 st Century!” the third, a teen with medium-length auburn hair and yellow eyes, shouts. “So this is what 21 st Century San Francisco looks like. Boring!”

Jinny blinks as she watches the three Speedsters gather themselves. To her knowledge, the one in the Grey costume is the newest member of the Teen Titans, the tallest one used to be part of the Teen Titans but left for some reason, and the third one... she's not so sure.

“Hey!” she shouts to get their attention. The three Speedsters look in her direction. Before she knew it, the mystery Speedster is holding her in a crushing bear hug.

“JINNY!”

“WHAT THE-?! Hey! Cut it out before I blast ya, you punk!” Jinny shouts.

“How could you say that?! Aren't we best friends?”

“I don't know ya, you loon!”

“ **'Bart'** !” the tallest one shouts. He speeds over before Jinny can shoot Bart with her concealed revolver. After the situation calms down, the four stand beside Jinny's Ford to talk.

Jinny had to take a few moments to process all the information that was dropped on her.

"This is all... I mean... my head hurts," she groans. She points at Wally. "You used to be Kid Flash until you lost your powers in an incident in 2016." She points at Wallace. "You're the current Kid Flash and newest member of the Teen Titans." She points at Bart. "And your the future grandson of the current Flash of the Justice League?"

“That's just the tip of the iceberg,” Wally says with an apologetic smile.

“And you got your powers back when an enemy Speedster by the name of Professor Zoom kidnapped you from your home in Keystone City, and some supernatural entity known as the Speed Demon appears and attacked you both, causing you to have some sort of reaction and got your powers back?”

“Yup.”

"And you," she addresses Bart. "You said that soon I'll be part of a team? What was it-?"

“ **'YOUNG JUSTICE'** !” Bart shouts with all his might. He strikes a dramatic pose as well. “Long story short, you, me, Conner,  **'Tim'** ,  **'Cassie'** ,  **'Kali'** , and  **'Amaya'** form our own awesome team!”

“Which you stole from me and Dick...” Wally says with a frown.

“Correction: YOU guys formed your own team known as the  **'Titans'** ! So in the future, Young Justice, Titans, AND the Teen Titans will be operating!”

“Er... But why did Wally and Dick hand the reigns over to you guys?” Wallace asks. Even though he  _ knows _ everything, he's still doesn't know  _ everything _ . If that makes any sense.

“Another long story, for another time!” Bart says. He puts a hand on his chin in thought. “If I'm right, at this time Conner is busy with N.O.W.H.E.R.E, Tim is at Gotham in a civil war between the villains, Cassie still hasn't found out she's Zeus' Granddaughter, Kali should have her Green Lantern Ring by now, and Amaya is still in her home realm, Gemworld.”

“Okay, I think that's enough,” says Jinny, holding up her hands to stop Bart from going out of control.

"Shouldn't all this talk about the future be... I don't know... a bit more... secretive?" Wallace tries to put it into words.

"Wallace's right. You shouldn't be sprouting out events that haven't come to fruition yet. Don't want to mess with the timestream too much," Wally says. "Still can't believe you guys stole our idea..." he mumbles the last part.

"Oh right! Spoilers..." Bart says with a sheepish grin. "But don't fret! As long as we are where we are supposed to be, then everything should be a-okay!"

“Right...” Jinny says with a frown. She's still confused. “Anyways, you guys got your mission to do, and I have mine.”

“That's right!” Wallace strikes a fist into his open palm. “We've got to help Uncle Barry and, I can't believe I'm going to say it, Professor Zoom, against that Speed Demon thing!”

“I wouldn't worry about Barry. He can handle himself. Trust me,” Wally says. “What I am more worried about is the Teen Titans and the Justice League.”

"I wouldn't worry about that..." Bart says.

“Why's that?”

“I'm from the future, remember? So I kind of know what's going to happen next. And right now, we're gonna have to run. Real fast.”

**[KRAAKKOOMMM!]**

As soon as Bart finished his sentence, another portal appears before them. Then something comes speeding out. It stops in front of them with its back hunch over. Its entire skin is black, with the symbol of the Flash in blood red. It raises its head to show a humanoid face with sharp fangs and red, dead eyes. Its hands end in large claws like a bird. It lets out a loud, inhuman screech that stuns them.

“What in the world?!” Jinny shouts.

“It's... It's the Speed Demon...” Wallace says. He trembles in terror. “But how-”

“No time! We've gotta go!” Wally shouts.

“We'll see each other soon, Jinny! Later!”

Before she can even reply, the three Speedsters race away. The Speed Demon screeches again and gives chase.

“...”

Jinny stands there with a perplex expression.

“...I think I'm going to sit down for a while...”

_NEXT UP:_

_WE WILL TAKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME_

_TO THE AMERICAN OLD WEST_

_TO FOLLOW THE TALE OF JONAH HEX_

_AND THE MYSTERIOUS POWER GRANTED FROM THE SOURCE WALL_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOOOO, I kinda created my own little mythos in this universe. Honestly, there's too many to unpack in this chapter for me to right about. I see this as an absolute win though! 
> 
> Next chapter, we will be going back to the late 1800s, and will feature cowboys, gunslingers, outlaws, Mexican standoffs, racial stereotypes of the time period and some good ol' Manifest Destiny!
> 
> Not in that particular order, mind you!


End file.
